Grace Thompson
Former US President Donald Trump's 2024 election victory was, in part, due to his increased support from Catholic voters. Trump's campaign targeted this demographic, and he attended Catholic events and posted Catholic imagery on social media. According to exit polls, Trump won 56% of the Catholic vote, compared to Vice President Kamala Harris's 41%. Trump's support from Latino Catholic voters increased, with a shift of 23 points since 2020. White Catholics also supported Trump by a large margin, with 60% voting for him. The Catholic vote was pivotal in Trump's victory, and his improved performance with this demographic has been noted as a surprise by some commentators.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of the election | 2024 |
| Trump's opponent | Kamala Harris |
| Trump's running mate | J.D. Vance |
| Trump's vote share among Catholics | 52% to 59% |
| Harris' vote share among Catholics | 41% to 45% |
| Trump's vote share among Latino Catholics | 43% to 54% |
| Harris' vote share among Latino Catholics | 55% to 60% |
| Trump's vote share among White Catholics | 59% to 60% |
| Harris' vote share among White Catholics | 37% to 39% |
| Number of Catholic voters in 2024 | 4,757 |
| Margin of error | +/- 1.9% |
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What You'll Learn
Trump's improved performance with Latino Catholics
Trump's campaign targeted Catholic voters, using social media, television interviews, and in-person rallies to reach them. He posted Catholic imagery and prayers on social media, including art depicting Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Prayer of St. Michael. Trump also attended the Al Smith Dinner hosted by the Archdiocese of New York, which his running mate, Harris, did not.
Additionally, Trump's running mate, Senator JD Vance, a recent convert to Catholicism, may have helped attract Catholic voters. Vance's ability to translate Christian teachings into accessible language resonated with many believers. Trump's campaign also accused Harris of being “destructive to Christianity" and "prejudiced against Catholics," which may have influenced Catholic voters.
The improved performance among Latino Catholics contributed to Trump's overall win of the Catholic vote in 2024. This marked a shift from 2020, when Biden narrowly won the Catholic vote by 5%. The Catholic vote is a significant bloc in American elections, and Trump's success with Latino Catholics was a key factor in his victory.
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White Catholics' support for Trump
White Catholics played a pivotal role in Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 election, with the former president capturing 60% of the white Catholic vote. This was a five-point improvement over his 2020 performance, when he secured 57% of white Catholic voters.
Trump's campaign specifically targeted white Catholics, using social media, television interviews, and in-person rallies to reach them. He posted Catholic imagery and prayers on social media, including art depicting Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Prayer of St. Michael. He also attended the Al Smith Dinner, hosted by the Archdiocese of New York, and sat for an interview with Raymond Arroyo of EWTN, a Catholic television network.
Trump's running mate, Senator JD Vance, a convert to Catholicism, also helped to court Catholic voters. In late October, Trump called Harris “destructive to Christianity" and claimed that Catholics are “treated worse than anybody". Vance published an op-ed in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, accusing Harris of "prejudice against Catholics".
The Democratic Party's staunch support for abortion rights and other policies that clashed with Catholic teachings likely contributed to Trump's improved performance among white Catholics. According to exit polls, Catholic voters trusted Trump more than Harris on issues like immigration and the economy.
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Trump's campaign strategy targeting Catholics
In the 2024 presidential election, Donald Trump's campaign strategy targeted Catholics, a demographic that played a pivotal role in his victory. Trump's campaign used social media, television interviews, and in-person rallies to reach Catholic voters.
Trump posted Catholic imagery and prayers on social media, including art depicting Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Prayer of St. Michael. He attended the Al Smith Dinner hosted by the Archdiocese of New York, a yearly fundraiser for Catholic charities, and later sat for an interview with Raymond Arroyo of EWTN, a Catholic television network. Trump's running mate, Senator JD Vance, a convert to Catholicism, also helped attract Catholic voters.
Trump's campaign messaging focused on several issues important to Catholic voters. One key factor was abortion. Trump's stance against abortion and his promise to appoint pro-life justices to the Supreme Court resonated with many Catholics, despite some disappointment over his preference for state-by-state abortion laws rather than a national ban. Trump also campaigned on a promise to crack down on illegal immigration, deporting anyone living in the country illegally, which appealed to Catholic voters concerned about border security.
Additionally, Trump's campaign targeted white Catholics specifically. According to exit polls, Trump won a majority of the white Catholic vote, with some polls showing up to 60% support from this demographic. This support was influenced by the perception that the Democratic Party and its candidates, such as Kamala Harris, were hostile to Catholicism and conservative values.
Trump's improved performance among Latino Catholics, while still losing this demographic to Harris, also contributed to his overall success with Catholic voters. Trump's gains with Latino Catholics were attributed to his improved performance among Latino men, as well as the importance of issues like abortion and immigration for this group.
In conclusion, Trump's campaign strategy effectively targeted Catholics by utilizing religious messaging, leveraging his running mate's Catholic faith, and focusing on issues important to Catholic voters, such as abortion and immigration. This multi-pronged approach helped Trump win the overall Catholic vote and contributed to his victory in the 2024 election.
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Catholic voters' views on abortion
In the 2024 election, Donald Trump won the Catholic vote by a margin of 56% to 41%. This was largely due to increased support from Latino and white Catholic voters. Trump's campaign targeted these demographics, with the former president attending the Al Smith Dinner hosted by the Archdiocese of New York and posting Catholic imagery and prayers on social media.
The Catholic Church's stance on abortion has been a contributing factor in the shift of Catholic voters away from the Democratic Party, which has increasingly embraced abortion rights. The Democratic Party's support for initiatives like the Equality Act and its characterization of transgender rights as "the civil rights issue of our time" have been cited as examples of policies that antagonize Catholic voters.
It is important to note that Catholic voters are not a monolith, and their voting decisions are influenced by a range of factors beyond abortion rights, including economic, social, and cultural issues.
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Catholic women's relationship with the church post-election
While Donald Trump's 2016 election victory was attributed to a strong show of support from white Catholic voters, a demographic that his campaign specifically targeted, the relationship between Catholic women and the Church post-election has been strained. Many Catholic women are rethinking their relationship with the Church, with some questioning whether the Church practices what it preaches about the dignity of all human beings.
The election results have left some Catholic women feeling disillusioned and angry, particularly in light of the Catholic Church's years-long synod on synodality concluding just nine days before the election. This synod raised hopes that action would be taken on the issue of women's leadership in the Church, but the final document did not address this issue. This has left many women feeling disappointed and hurt, especially those who have experienced sexism within the Church.
The election results have also caused some Catholic women to question their vocation, as they see the Church aligning itself with conservative Republican ideology. These women feel that the Catholic space is no longer a spiritual one and that it has been tainted by the larger political culture. They feel that neither the country nor the Church is ready for women leaders, and this has led to a growing gender gap in churches, with Gen Z women leaving their childhood religion at a higher rate than men.
Additionally, the Catholic Church's perceived connection with Trumpism has caused some Catholic women to reevaluate their relationship with the Church. They struggle with the idea that someone who has been accused of sexual assault and tried to incite the rejection of a fair election is acceptable to a majority of their fellow Catholics. This has led some women to stop attending Mass and question their faith in the Church, even if they haven't lost faith in Jesus.
In summary, the relationship between Catholic women and the Church post-election is complex and strained. Many women are rethinking their relationship with the Church due to feelings of disillusionment, anger, and disappointment. They question the Church's alignment with conservative ideology and its failure to address women's leadership roles. The growing connection between Catholicism and Trumpism has also caused some women to distance themselves from the Church.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Trump won the Catholic vote in the 2024 election.
According to exit polls, Trump won 56% of the Catholic vote.
Trump and his running mate, Vance, targeted Catholic voters in the final weeks of the election. They accused Harris of being "destructive to Christianity" and "prejudiced against Catholics". Trump also posted Catholic imagery and prayers on social media.
Many Catholic voters, especially women, expressed disappointment and concern about Trump's win. Some Catholic women are rethinking their relationship with the Church.
No, Trump did not win the Latino Catholic vote. However, he did gain more support from Latino Catholics in 2024 than in previous elections.
