President Trump’s public feud with the first American pope may be the death knell of the commander-in-chief’s once firm grip on Catholic voters.
According to a new analysis from CNN data guru Harry Enten, net approval of Trump by American Catholics has plummeted from plus 20 points in November of 2024 to minus four points this March.
“I believe the president is making a humongous mistake going after the most popular guy in America, at least well-know guy,” Enten told CNN colleague John Berman on Monday.
Polling from NBC shows Pope Leo XIV’s net popularity among Americans at plus 34 points, compared to minus 12 points for the president.
“Maybe President Trump is jealous of Pope Leo XIV because it is a blowout,” Enten said.
The pontiff and the president traded barbs this weekend over the war in Iran. In a Truth Social post on Sunday night, Trump called Leo “weak on crime,” adding that he doesn’t “want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.”
Leo responded: “I have no fear of the Trump administration, or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do.”
The pope, who is embarking on a 10-day trip to Africa, has also criticized the Trump administration’s attempts to tie the bombing of Iran to a larger Christian cause.
“I don’t think the message of the Gospel is meant to be abused in the way that some people are doing,” the pope said, adding that he “will continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems.”
Trump, in addition to his pointed comments, posted an AI-generated photo of him as Jesus healing a sick man while several military jets appear to be flying overhead in the background. The president’s account later removed the post on Monday amid outrage from Christians.
The Daily Beast reached out to the White House for comment.
Enten pointed out that the rift between the president and the pope comes as Catholic voters break with the White House over the war with Iran, which has no end in sight after peace talks failed in Pakistan over the weekend.
Polling from Fox News shows net approval among Catholics for the U.S. military action against Iran is minus ten points. Additionally, support of Trump on Iran is minus 20 points.
“I must say, in my expert opinion, I’m not quite sure going after the pope is the way to recover with Catholics,” Enten said. “This ain’t gonna help.”
