A recent Pew Research poll has unveiled a significant shift among U.S. Catholics, indicating a growing preference for former President Donald J. Trump over President Joe Biden.
The survey highlights a notable trend wherein Trump holds a slight lead over Biden among all voters by a single percentage point. However, among Catholics, Trump enjoys majority support, with 55 percent backing him compared to 43 percent supporting Biden—a substantial 12-point margin.
Delving deeper into the data, white, non-Hispanic Catholics overwhelmingly favor Trump, giving him a commanding 23-point lead with 61 percent support, while Biden trails with only 38 percent. Although Hispanic Catholics show a narrower gap, Biden maintains a modest two-point advantage over Trump, securing 49 percent support to Trump’s 47 percent.
Additionally, Trump maintains a robust 22-point lead among Protestant voters, with 60 percent supporting him compared to Biden’s 39 percent. Among white evangelicals, Trump enjoys overwhelming support, capturing 81 percent of the vote, while among white non-evangelicals, he leads with 57 percent compared to Biden’s 41 percent. Conversely, black Protestants overwhelmingly favor Biden, with 77 percent backing him compared to Trump’s 18 percent.
Biden’s declining support among Catholics coincides with his support for abortion, notably showcased on the National Day of Prayer, where he claimed he would “protect” abortion, calling it a right. Naturally, Catholics have found it hypocritical for Biden to present an image of himself as a faithful Catholic while supporting abortion, an evil the Catholic Church has always oppposed.
Furthermore, Biden’s recent efforts to oppose Florida’s measures protecting unborn life, including a 15-week abortion ban upheld by the Florida Supreme Court, have further alienated conservative Catholics and Protestants alike. Biden’s decision to cross himself at a Florida rally, where he opposed the state’s new abortion restrictions, offended many Catholics, who saw it as a sacrilegious gesture.