Pew Report Shows Slight Decline in Catholic Support for Trump Over Past Year

A new report from the Pew Research Center reveals that U.S. Catholics’ support for President Donald Trump has remained largely consistent over the past year, though with some modest declines.

The study, titled White Evangelicals Remain Among Trump’s Strongest Supporters, but They’re Less Supportive Than a Year Ago, surveyed 8,512 adults across the United States through the American Trends Panel.

Conducted between January 20–26, 2026, the survey had a margin of error of ±1.4 percentage points.

Among white Catholics, 46% reported supporting most or all of Trump’s policies, a slight dip from 51% in 2025. Hispanic Catholic support edged down from 20% to 18% over the same period.

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Ethics Confidence Shows Slight Decline

The report also explored how Catholics and other religious groups view Trump’s ethical conduct. Confidence in Trump acting ethically has decreased modestly among white Catholics, from 39% in 2025 to 34% in 2026.

Among Hispanic Catholics, the drop was sharper, falling from 22% to 14%.

These figures reflect a subtle shift in sentiment among Catholic voters, suggesting that while policy support remains fairly steady, concerns about ethical behavior are growing.

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Approval Ratings Across Religious Groups

Trump’s overall approval has fallen among many religious groups compared with a year ago. Among white Catholics, approval of the president’s job performance dropped from 59% to 52%.

Hispanic Catholics registered a more noticeable decline, from 31% to 23%.

White evangelical Protestants remain the most loyal religious constituency, with 69% approving of Trump’s job performance.

However, even among evangelicals, there has been a decline: support for his policies fell 8 percentage points from 2025, and confidence in his ethics dropped 15 points.

White non-evangelical Protestants show mixed results, with 46% approving of Trump’s performance, indicating a more lukewarm perspective compared with evangelicals.

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Broader Trends and Context

The data underscores a broader trend of stabilizing yet slightly declining support for Trump across religious demographics. While white evangelicals remain the most consistent supporters, no group is entirely immune to shifts in opinion as the second term progresses.

Analysts suggest several factors may contribute to these changes:

• Ongoing debates over policy implementation.

• Ethical controversies and public perception.

• Demographic shifts within religious communities.

Even minor declines in traditionally supportive groups like Catholics could influence future political dynamics, especially in key swing states where Catholic voters make up a significant portion of the electorate.

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What’s next?

Experts suggest monitoring trends among religious groups as the 2026 election cycle approaches. Key points to watch include:

• Whether confidence in Trump’s ethics continues to erode among Catholics.

• Potential shifts among younger and Hispanic Catholic voters.

• Evangelical voter behavior and whether declining support affects local and national races.

• How ethical and policy perceptions interact to shape voter turnout and engagement.

These trends could have meaningful implications for both policy debates and electoral strategy in the coming months.

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Summary

A Pew Research Center survey of 8,512 U.S. adults finds Catholic support for President Trump remains largely steady, with minor decreases in policy backing and confidence in his ethical conduct.

White Catholics show slightly lower support than a year ago, while Hispanic Catholic support drops more noticeably. White evangelicals remain the president’s strongest supporters, though even their enthusiasm has declined.

Overall, religious approval ratings for Trump indicate small but measurable shifts, highlighting changing attitudes within America’s faith communities as his second term continues.