Grace Thompson
Catholics represent one of the largest and most diverse religious groups in the United States. In the 2024 election, Donald Trump received the majority of the Catholic vote, with 52-56% of Catholic voters casting their ballot for him. This was a slight increase from 2020, when Trump received 50% of the Catholic vote. Trump's improved performance among Catholics in 2024 was driven by Latino voters, particularly in counties on the southern border, and by white voters. Analysts attribute this shift to economic concerns, and to the Democratic Party's policies conflicting with Catholic moral teachings.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Percentage of Catholics who voted for Trump in 2024 | 55% |
| Trump's advantage over Kamala Harris in terms of Catholic voters | 12% |
| Percentage of Catholic voters who voted for Trump in 2020 | 49% |
| Percentage of Catholic voters who voted for Trump in 2016 | 50% |
| Percentage of Catholic voters who voted for Trump in 2024 exit polls | 56% |
| Percentage of Catholic voters who voted for Trump in 2020 exit polls | 47% |
| Percentage of Catholic voters who voted for Trump in 2024 (PRRI Survey) | 53% |
| Percentage of White Catholic voters who voted for Trump | 60-68% |
| Percentage of Hispanic Catholic voters who voted for Trump | 38% |
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What You'll Learn
Catholics voted for Trump over Harris in the 2024 election
In the 2024 election, Catholics voted for Trump over Harris, with Trump receiving the majority of the Catholic vote. According to exit polls, Trump won the national Catholic vote by a margin of 15 points: 56% to 41%. This represented a 10-point swing in favor of Trump from 2020, when he led by only five points. The shift towards Trump among Catholic voters was driven by gains from Latino and white Catholic voters.
Trump's improved performance among Latinos was particularly notable, with a 23-point shift in his favor compared to 2020. In 2016, Trump won 28% of the Hispanic vote, which increased to 36% in 2020 and 48% in 2024. This trend was also observed in counties on the southern border, such as Maverick County, Texas, which voted Republican for the first time in 50 years. However, it is important to note that Trump still lost the Latino Catholic vote, with Harris receiving 55% compared to Trump's 43%.
White Catholics also showed increased support for Trump in 2024, with 59% voting for him, compared to 39% for Harris, according to the PRRI survey. This represented a five-point improvement for Trump from his 2020 performance, when he secured 57% of white Catholic voters.
The Catholic vote was heavily courted by both Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, in the final weeks of the campaign. Trump accused Harris of being “destructive to Christianity” and claimed that Catholics were “treated worse than anybody” by Democrats. Vance also published an op-ed accusing Harris of “prejudice against Catholics.”
The shift in the Catholic vote towards Trump was influenced by various factors, including social issues such as abortion and immigration. Some conservative Catholics opposed Harris due to the Democratic Party's staunch support for abortion rights, while some liberal Catholics criticized Trump's demonization of migrants and disinterest in social justice issues. Trump's improved performance among Catholic voters contributed to his victory in the 2024 election, with 55% of Catholic voters casting their vote for him.
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Trump's anti-abortion stance appealed to Catholic voters
In the 2024 election, Donald Trump gained voters from multiple religious groups, including Catholics, with 55% of Catholic voters casting their ballot for him. Trump's anti-abortion stance is believed to have appealed to Catholic voters, with 90% of voters who believe abortion should be illegal in all or most cases voting for him.
Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, actively courted the Catholic vote in the final weeks of the election. Trump's comments that Harris was "destructive to Christianity" and that Catholics are "treated worse than anybody" may have contributed to his appeal among Catholic voters. Additionally, Vance published an op-ed accusing Harris of "prejudice against Catholics."
The Catholic Church's stance on abortion is clear. Pope Francis, while not emphasizing church doctrine as strongly as his predecessors, has unequivocally stated that "to have an abortion is to kill a human being." He urged Catholics to vote for the "lesser evil" regarding abortion and migration, two issues of major concern to the Church.
While there are progressive Catholic women who support legalized abortion, Trump's anti-abortion stance may have attracted more conservative Catholic women. Steven P. Millies, a professor of public theology, attributed the shift among women voters to the normalization of Trumpism over time. Additionally, pre-election polling indicated that economic issues and immigration were top concerns for voters, which may have influenced Catholic voters' priorities.
It is worth noting that Catholics represent one of the largest and most diverse religious groups in the United States, and their voting preferences vary. In 2020, the Catholic vote was almost evenly split between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, demonstrating the complexity of Catholic voters' preferences.
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Catholic voters in swing states preferred Trump
In the 2024 election, Catholic voters in swing states preferred Trump over Harris. According to exit polls by the Washington Post, Trump won the national Catholic vote by a 15-point margin: 56% to 41%. This was a much larger victory for Trump among Catholic voters than in the 2020 exit polls, which showed a near-even split.
NBC exit polls also showed that Catholic voters in 10 key swing states voted for Trump by a 15-point margin, with 56% of the vote going to Trump and 41% to Harris. Trump's lead was slightly larger among white Catholic voters, with 60% supporting him and 37% backing Harris. Catholics accounted for 22% of the voters in these states, and white Catholics accounted for 15%.
The shift towards Trump among Catholic voters was driven in part by Latino voters, particularly in counties on the southern border, such as Maverick County, Texas, which voted Republican for the first time in 50 years. Analysts attributed this shift to Trump's economic populist messaging, which resonated with working-class Hispanics who had been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the housing affordability crisis, rising food prices, and overall economic inequality.
Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, actively courted the Catholic vote in the final weeks of the election. Trump appealed to Catholic voters by positioning himself as a defender of Christianity and accusing Harris of being "destructive to Christianity" and prejudiced against Catholics. Vance, a convert to Christianity, also translated Christian teachings into accessible language, which may have resonated with Catholic voters.
While Trump gained support among Catholic voters in 2024, it is important to note that Catholics remain one of the largest and most diverse religious groups in the United States, and their voting preferences can vary widely.
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Trump's running mate, JD Vance, appealed to Catholic voters
Vance's intellectual curiosity and focus on working-class voters attracted Catholic voters. He shared Trump's views on trade, foreign policy, and immigration, taking a critical stance on mass immigration. Additionally, Vance's strong anti-abortion stance and prioritization of the "right to life" resonated with Catholic voters who opposed abortion.
Vance's ability to translate Christian teachings into accessible language resonated with Catholic voters. His distinction between Caesar's claims and Christian teachings offered a refreshing perspective. His visit to the site of the deadly mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis further demonstrated his appeal to Catholic voters, despite protests at the scene.
Vance's alignment with Catholic social teachings and his conversion to Catholicism likely contributed to his appeal among Catholic voters. The 2024 election marked a potential turning point in national politics, with Trump-Vance gaining a historically wide margin of support from Catholic voters, estimated at 55% according to a Pew Research Center report. This shift was particularly notable in states like North Carolina, Florida, and Texas.
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Trump's economic policies appealed to working-class Hispanic Catholics
In the 2024 election, Donald Trump's victory was largely attributed to his success in attracting working-class Hispanic Catholic voters. Trump's economic policies, in particular, seemed to appeal to this demographic.
Trump's populist campaign promises to protect workers from global economic competition and his proposals for a range of tax cuts, resonated with working-class voters, including those from Hispanic backgrounds. Indeed, two-thirds of voters believed the US economy was in poor shape, and 46% said their family's financial situation had worsened in the previous four years. Trump's tax cuts were designed to put more money into the pockets of Hispanic American families, and he also supported minority-owned businesses.
Trump's policies also focused on improving access to educational and economic opportunities for Hispanic Americans. Before the pandemic, the Hispanic unemployment rate reached a record low of 3.9% under Trump's leadership. In 2018, 362,000 Hispanics achieved homeownership, the largest gain since 2005. Trump's administration also invested in educational initiatives, with nearly one-third of students in public charter schools and 11% in private schools being Hispanic.
Trump's economic policies were thus a key factor in attracting the support of working-class Hispanic Catholics, contributing to his improved performance among Catholics in the 2024 election.
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Frequently asked questions
52% to 56% according to various polls and studies.
Trump won the Catholic vote in 2020 by a smaller margin, with 50% to Biden's 46%.
Trump won the Catholic vote over Clinton in 2016, with 50% to 46%.
Catholic men were significantly more likely to vote for Trump than Catholic women, with 56% to 44% and 50% to 48% respectively.
Trump received more votes from White Catholics than from Hispanic Catholics, with 61% to 38%.
