A majority of practicing Catholics will support President Trump in 2020, a new survey finds. A sharp divergence from the majority of Catholics at large.
The survey, conducted by RealClearResearch and the Catholic television network EWTN, reported that 63% of so-called devout Catholics approve of Trump’s performance, and 59% say they will vote for him in 2020. In contrast, only 47% of Catholics, on the whole, approve of Trump’s job, and only 34% say they will “definitely” vote for him.
Trump’s approval ratings are up from a survey RealClearResearch and EWTN conducted in November, which found that 44% of Catholics approved of Trump.
Devout Catholics account for about one-fifth of the entire Catholic population. The survey defined them as people who are “more active in their daily practice of the faith, go to Mass more often, and are guided by Catholic teaching on a more regular basis as they discern how to vote and how to respond to the great social issues and moral crises of our time.” It found that 72% of devout Catholics attend Mass weekly or more, in contrast to the 35% of all Catholics. Similarly, 92% pray at least weekly and 62% pray the rosary at least once a week compared to 27% among all Catholics.
Along with evangelicals, Catholics are at the forefront of Trump’s base of religious voters. Turnout from devout Catholics is typically 75%, and they vote primarily in favor of candidates who support conservative positions on social issues, particularly abortion. Trump has become a vocal advocate against abortion, and in January was the first president to address the March for Life in person.
Among all Catholics, former Vice President Joe Biden is the most popular presidential candidate, with 29% support. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders comes in second with 24% support.
As a group, Catholics have voted for the winning presidential candidate in every election since 1972. In 2016, Trump received 52% of the vote to Hillary Clinton’s 45%, according to the Pew Research Center.
