Politics

More Than Half Of Catholics Are Open To Re-Electing Trump, Poll Shows

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Fifty-three percent of Catholics are open to re-electing President Donald Trump, a poll released Tuesday found.

The Eternal Word Television Network and RealClear Opinion Research conducted a poll gauging Catholic opinion on matters within the Catholic church, on politics, and on culture ahead of the 2020 presidential election. The poll also found that Catholics have noticed a decline in religious tolerance in America and are disappointed with how the Catholic Church has handled the sexual abuse crisis.

EWTN and RealClear Opinion Research polled Catholic voters across the United States, 46% of whom consider themselves to be affiliated with the Democratic Party and 34% of whom consider themselves to be affiliated with the Republican Party. Thirty-seven percent of these Catholic voters consider themselves liberal on political issues, 23% consider themselves moderate, and 40% consider themselves conservative.

At 53%, more than half of Catholic voters said they are open to voting for Trump in the 2020 election. This number includes 34% of Catholics who have indicated they will definitely be voting for Trump in 2020.

However, the poll also shows that Trump’s overall job approval is at 44% among all Catholics and finds him trailing every major Democratic candidate in head-to-head matchups.

The poll also asked voters who they would vote for if the Democratic primary for president were held today.

Twenty-nine percent of Catholic Democrats said they would vote for 2020 presidential candidate Joe Biden, 24% of Catholic voters said they would vote for 2020 presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, 9% of Catholic voters said they would vote for 2020 presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren, 6% said they would vote for 2020 presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, and 5% said they would vote for 2020 presidential candidates Andrew Yang or Michael Bloomberg.

“There is still much more to learn in the coming polls over the next year, especially in understanding more about the active Catholics and the key issues of our time, including abortion, secularism, religious liberty, and the polarization of American politics and life,” Matthew Bunson, executive editor for EWTN News, said in a statement. “This poll, however, provides a starting opportunity to understand where Catholics stand, what they are thinking, how they are living – or not living – the Catholic faith, and how that will shape their vote and participation in American elections.”

The poll surveyed 2,055 registered voters in the United States of 18 years of age or older over the internet between Nov. 15 and Nov. 21.  The sample of voters included 1,223 Catholic voters with a margin of error of +/- 2.66 percentage points.