A new CBS News poll shows a majority of Catholic Americans now disapprove of President Donald Trump’s job performance, though those who attended church weekly or more often are more likely to approve.
The data comes from an April 8-10 CBS/YouGov survey conducted with a nationally representative sample of 2,387 U.S. adults. The poll was conducted days before Trump criticized Pope Leo XIV on Truth Social, meaning the results do not capture reactions to that development.
>> Pope Leo says he has ‘no fear of the Trump administration’ and will continue to urge peace <<
According to the data, 54% of Catholic respondents disapprove of Trump’s job performance and 46% approve. The results vary by church attendance. Among those who said they attend church weekly or more, 58% approved of Trump’s job performance, while 42% disapproved. Among Catholics who attend church less often or never, 58% disapproved and 42% approved.
Church attendance matters. Catholics who attend religious services at least weekly are more approving of the job Trump is doing and the conflict with Iran, compared to those who attend less often or never. pic.twitter.com/eyQKOtf2um
— CBS News Poll (@CBSNewsPoll) April 13, 2026
Catholics also leaned against the U.S. military action in Iran, with 56% disapproving and 44% approving. The divide narrowed among Catholics who attend church weekly, who split evenly at 50% approval and 50% disapproval. Among Catholics who attend church less often or never, 59% disapproved and 41% approved
The findings come after Trump won a solid majority of the Catholic vote in the 2024 election, according to exit polls from multiple outlets. The Washington Post and NBC News exit polls both found Trump carrying Catholics 56% to 41% over former Vice President Kamala Harris, while the AP VoteCast survey showed a narrower advantage: 52% to 45%.
CBS pointed to the ongoing war with Iran as the dominant factor contributing to the President’s lower approval ratings. The poll found that most Americans feel uncomfortable with the war, with 68% saying they are worried, 57% stressed, and 54% angry about the conflict. Only 32% feel either safe or confident, and just 29% feel proud of the U.S. role in the war, according to the data.
Overall, 64% of Americans disapprove of the President’s handling of the situation in Iran, and 36% said they approve of it. Asked about Trump’s overall job performance, 61% said they disapprove and 39% said they approve. The disapproval figures track largely along party lines — with Republicans remaining broadly supportive of the President’s handling of Iran, while Democrats and independents drive the majority disapproval numbers.
Sixty-two percent of respondents said Trump does not have a clear plan for the conflict, while 38% said he does. Two-thirds said the administration has not effectively outlined American goals, and 64% said the administration has been changing what it says those goals are.