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Former President Donald Trump won significant support from Catholic voters in the US presidential election, securing a double-digit lead over Vice President Kamala Harris.
Exit polls conducted by the Washington Post, NBC News and the Associated Press reveal that Trump claimed roughly 56% of the Catholic vote compared to Harris’ 41%, a 15-point lead in key swing states.
According to the Washington Post, this outcome marks a notable departure from the 2020 election where Trump led Joe Biden among Catholic voters by only five points.
Trump’s ability to gain traction among Catholics reflects an appeal to voters with traditional values, particularly on abortion and immigration.
The Associated Press VoteCast poll shows that 90% of voters who believe abortion should be illegal in most or all cases supported Trump. In comparison, Harris retained 69% of voters in favour of more liberal abortion policies.
Additionally, Trump held a 25-point lead among Catholics on immigration and a 19-point lead on the economy, topics that resonated with a demographic historically split between the two main parties.
Generational shift
According to Massimo Faggioli, professor of Historical Theology at Villanova University, Trump’s strong support among Catholics represents a generational shift.
“The cultural and ethnic diversification of American Catholics does not mean they automatically align with the ‘diversity party'” he explained.
“There are fewer Catholics in the USA that look like Biden and (former Speaker of the House Nancy) Pelosi” Faggioli argued.
Faggioli also noted that Trump reached out to Catholics in the country “in a way that the Harris-Walz campaign did not”. For instance, Donald Trump chose a Catholic convert as Vice-President, JD Vance.
Ideological rifts
Looking ahead, some analysts speculate on the broader implications of a second Trump presidency for US Catholics.
Faggioli predicts further ideological rifts within the Catholic community, with debates likely to centre on immigration, climate change and other social issues.
The response of US bishops to Trump’s policies will be closely observed, especially given their past criticisms of Biden’s stance on abortion.
According to the Washington Post poll, non-Catholic Christians also voted in strong numbers for Trump (62%). On the other hand, Jews (79%), other believers (60%) and non-religious (72%) supported Harris.
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