Ethan Walker
Former US President Donald Trump's cabinet selections represent an unusual slice of American religious life, with a broader representation of faiths than his first term. Trump's cabinet includes several Catholics, including Sean Duffy, Robert F. Kennedy, Marco Rubio, Elise Stefanik, and John Ratcliffe. Trump has also appointed Catholics to other top positions, such as White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Callista Gingrich as the ambassador to Switzerland. Trump's cabinet selections have sparked discussions about the potential influence of religious beliefs on policy decisions, particularly regarding abortion and religious liberty.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Percentage of Trump's cabinet that are Catholic | More than a third |
| Number of Catholics in Trump's cabinet | 5 |
| Names of Catholics in Trump's cabinet | Sean Duffy, Kennedy, Marco Rubio, Elise Stefanik, John Ratcliffe |
| Positions of Catholics in Trump's cabinet | Secretary of Transportation, Secretary of Health and Human Services, Secretary of State, Ambassador to the United Nations, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) |
| Other Catholics in top positions in Trump's administration | Karoline Leavitt (White House Press Secretary), Brian Burch (Ambassador to the Holy See), Callista Gingrich (Ambassador to Switzerland) |
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What You'll Learn
Trump's cabinet is more than one-third Catholic
Former US President Donald Trump's cabinet is more than one-third Catholic. Trump's cabinet selections represent an unusual slice of American religious life, including pastors, Catholic converts, and one nominee who credits their spiritual rebirth to a book by a Swiss psychiatrist.
Trump has chosen to lead his second administration with a broader representation of faiths than his first term. The most robustly represented faith is Catholicism, with more than a third of his nominees being Catholic. Three of Trump's Catholic nominees—Duffy, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe—had been confirmed by the US Senate as of November 2024. Other Catholics in Trump's cabinet include Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Elise Stefanik, Tom Homan, Karoline Leavitt, Brian Burch, and Callista Gingrich.
Some of Trump's Catholic cabinet members rarely talk about their faith publicly, while others credit it as the reason for their conservative political views, especially on topics such as abortion and religious liberty. However, some Catholic leaders would like to see cabinet members more fully embrace Catholic social teaching.
The religious diversity of Trump's cabinet has raised questions about how it will influence his governing decisions. During his first term, Trump's dependence on evangelical Christians led him to nominate conservative Catholics who supported overturning Roe v. Wade. It remains unclear if his second term will be influenced by similar religious motivations.
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The Catholic influence on Trump's policies
Trump's cabinet included prominent Catholics such as JD Vance, the Vice President-elect, who is known for his strong Catholic faith and has been described as a "pro-life" advocate. Other Catholics in Trump's cabinet include Sean Duffy, Kennedy, Marco Rubio, Elise Stefanik, John Ratcliffe, and Tom Homan, among others. More than a third of Trump's nominees are Catholic, and they hold various cabinet-level positions.
The presence of Catholics in Trump's cabinet has sparked discussions about the potential influence of Catholic social teaching on policy decisions. Some Catholic leaders have expressed their hopes that Catholic cabinet members would advocate for Catholic values in governance. However, there has also been criticism of Catholic politicians who selectively emphasise certain issues, such as abortion, while seemingly contradicting Catholic teachings on other matters like immigration, the death penalty, and LGBTQ+ rights.
Trump's administration has been characterised by a focus on international religious liberty, as exemplified by JD Vance's criticism of the UK for punishing a man praying outside an abortion facility. While some of Trump's policies might align with Catholic teachings on religious freedom, other aspects, such as his support for IVF, deviate from Catholic moral doctrines. Additionally, Trump's stance on immigration and his pursuit of "America First" policies may clash with Catholic values emphasising mercy and compassion for the vulnerable.
The influence of Catholicism on Trump's policies is difficult to measure directly. While some of his cabinet members are devout Catholics, their individual interpretations of their faith may vary, and they might prioritise different aspects of Catholic doctrine. Ultimately, while Catholicism has a presence in Trump's cabinet, the administration's policies are shaped by a multitude of factors, including the president's goals and the diverse religious backgrounds of his advisers.
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Trump's Catholic nominees for cabinet positions
Former US President Donald Trump's cabinet selections represent an unusual slice of American religious life. More than a third of Trump's nominees are Catholic, which is comparable to his predecessor Joe Biden's cabinet, which was called the most Catholic Cabinet in history. Trump's cabinet includes a mix of Catholic converts and those who were raised in Catholic families. Some of Trump's Catholic nominees for cabinet positions include:
Sean Duffy
Sean Duffy, a former US Representative, was chosen for the position of Secretary of Transportation. Duffy is a Catholic and a father of nine children. He resigned from Congress in 2019 to care for his daughter who was born with a heart condition.
Marco Rubio
Florida Senator Marco Rubio is Trump's choice for Secretary of State. Rubio is a Catholic, although his religious history is a bit complex. He was raised Catholic, but his family briefly became members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the 1970s.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Kennedy is a controversial Catholic nominee who was chosen to be the Secretary of Health and Human Services. He is a lifelong Democrat who dropped out of the 2024 presidential race and endorsed Trump. Kennedy struggled with drug addiction in his early adulthood but credits a "profound spiritual enlightenment" for his recovery. He deviates from Catholic Church teachings on abortion, as he supports legal abortions.
Elise Stefanik
Elise Stefanik, who rarely talks about her Catholicism publicly, was nominated for the position of Ambassador to the United Nations. She grew up in Albany, New York, where her family owned a wholesale plywood distribution business. She is a co-chair of the America First Policy Institute, a think tank that promotes ideas such as expanding executive power and banning abortion pills.
John Ratcliffe
John Ratcliffe, a Catholic, was nominated by Trump to be the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
Trump has also appointed Catholics to other top positions, including White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Catholic Vote co-founder Brian Burch as Ambassador to the Holy See, and Callista Gingrich as Ambassador to Switzerland. Trump's vice president, JD Vance, is also a prominent Catholic politician.
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Trump's cabinet: an eclectic religious mix
Donald Trump's cabinet selections represent an unusual slice of American religious life, with an eclectic mix of faiths. Trump, long associated with conservative Protestants, has chosen to lead his second administration with a broader representation of faiths than his first term.
Catholics
Catholics are the most robustly represented faith in Trump's cabinet. More than a third of Trump's nominees are Catholic, including Vice President-elect JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy. Several have rarely, if ever, talked about their faith publicly, while others credit it as the reason for their conservative political views, especially on topics such as abortion and religious liberty.
Trump has also tapped Catholics for other top positions, including White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Catholic Vote co-founder Brian Burch for ambassador to the Holy See, and Callista Gingrich as ambassador to Switzerland.
Protestants
While Trump's cabinet includes a significant number of Catholics, Protestants are far from absent. Robert F. Kennedy, Trump's nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, is a former heroin addict who wandered from his Catholic faith but later experienced a "spiritual awakening" and now prays "pretty much all day."
Jewish Faith
Trump's cabinet also includes members of the Jewish faith, such as businessman Howard Lutnick, who was nominated to run the Department of Commerce. However, Trump has selected fewer Jews for his second administration than he did in 2016.
French Huguenot
If confirmed, US investor and hedge fund manager Scott Bessent would become the first active French Huguenot to serve in the cabinet in centuries, perhaps ever.
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Trump's Catholic cabinet members' stance on abortion
More than a third of Donald Trump's cabinet nominees are Catholic. Among them are Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Sean Duffy, Marco Rubio, Elise Stefanik, and John Ratcliffe. Kennedy, Trump's pick for secretary of Health and Human Services, has been described as "among the most controversial choices". This is due, in part, to his stance on abortion. While Kennedy has previously expressed support for a federal ban on abortion after the first trimester, he later stated that abortion should be "legal up until a certain number of weeks, and restricted thereafter". In his role as Health Secretary, Kennedy would have authority over agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This has raised concerns among abortion-rights advocates, who worry that Kennedy could take steps to restrict access to abortion pills, such as mifepristone.
Another Catholic cabinet member, Marco Rubio, has been confirmed as Trump's Secretary of State. Rubio has stated that he is "against abortion" and, in this role, he could enforce the Global Gag Rule if Trump reinstates it. Trump's pick for Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, has also publicly shared his anti-abortion beliefs. If confirmed, he could reverse the Biden Administration's policy of helping active service members and their families access reproductive healthcare, including abortion.
Some Catholic leaders have expressed concern that Trump's Catholic cabinet members do not fully embrace Catholic social teaching. Trinity Washington University President Patricia McGuire has accused Catholic politicians, including JD Vance, of hypocrisy for claiming to be "pro-life" while "celebrating the mass deportation of migrants and refugees, urging expansive use of the death penalty, and demeaning LGBTQ persons as unworthy of protection". However, other Catholic staff members are striving to apply the precepts of their faith to the policies that govern America.
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Frequently asked questions
Trump's cabinet includes more than a third Catholics, with five confirmed cabinet-level positions held by Catholics.
The five Catholics in Trump's Cabinet are Kennedy, who was nominated to be the secretary of Health and Human Services; Rubio as secretary of state; Stefanik as ambassador to the United Nations; John Ratcliffe, nominated as director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA); and Duffy for secretary of transportation.
Yes, Trump has also appointed Catholics to other top positions, including White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Catholic Vote co-founder Brian Burch as ambassador to the Holy See, and Callista Gingrich as ambassador to Switzerland.
It is unclear how the religious diversity of Trump's cabinet will be reflected in his governing. While he has nominated a significant number of conservative Catholics, there are concerns about policies that contradict Catholic teachings.
