As President Donald Trump passes the milestone of his first 100 days in office, a new Pew Research Center survey reveals that his approval ratings remain significantly higher among Christians than among the religiously unaffiliated — with notable differences within the Catholic community.
According to Pew, 48% of Christians overall approve of Trump’s job performance, compared to only 26% of religiously unaffiliated Americans. That’s 8 points higher than the national average across all U.S. adults. Among all U.S. adults, Trump’s approval rating stands at 40%.
The strongest support comes from white evangelical Protestants, 72% of whom give the president a positive rating. In stark contrast, only 10% of Black Protestants approve of Trump. Meanwhile, Catholics are nearly split, with 42% approving and 58% disapproving of the president’s performance.
The Catholic divide becomes even more apparent along racial and ethnic lines. White Catholics gave Trump a 52% approval rating, while only 26% of Hispanic Catholics expressed approval. Similarly, when asked about the ethical standards of Trump’s administration, “about 7 in 10 white evangelicals rated them as ‘excellent’ or ‘good,’” Pew reported. Among white Catholics, nearly half agreed, while just one in four Hispanic Catholics shared that view.
The survey also examined reactions to several key Trump administration policies. Catholics responded as follows:
- 43% approved of the administration’s decision to end diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies;
- 47% approved of federal department funding cuts;
- 41% approved of increased tariffs on imports.
However, approval was again split along demographic lines. “More than half of white Catholics surveyed (54%) said they approved of the anti-DEI initiative, while a large majority of Hispanic Catholics (69%) disapproved,” according to Pew. On federal budget cuts, 55% of white Catholics expressed support, while 65% of Hispanic Catholics opposed them. Similarly, 70% of Hispanic Catholics disapproved of the increased tariffs, while 49% of white Catholics approved.
These findings highlight a deepening political divide among U.S. Catholics, even as the overall Catholic response to Trump mirrors national averages. “Across the various categories, Catholics do not vary from U.S. adults by more than 3 percentage points,” Pew noted.
Despite strong support among some Christian groups, Trump’s overall approval rating saw a notable decline this month — dropping 7% among U.S. adults. “The drop comes in the wake of the Trump administration implementing a surge of tariffs on various foreign imports,” Pew reported. Among Catholics, the decline was slightly more pronounced: “Trump’s approval ratings dropped by 1 percentage point more among white Catholics than it did among the religiously nonaffiliated.”
Approval among white Catholics and Black Protestants fell by 8 points each. Among white evangelicals and religiously unaffiliated respondents, the decline was 6 and 7 points, respectively.
The Pew Research Center surveyed over 3,500 U.S. adults from April 7 to 13, 2025. The data provides a snapshot of how faith, ethnicity, and political policy continue to shape perceptions of the nation’s leadership.
As the Church prepares for a new papal conclave and Catholics reflect on both global and domestic leadership, the survey’s findings remind us that political unity remains elusive — even within communities of shared faith.
