Pope Leo XIV makes an appearance for his regular weekly address in Saint Peter’s Square, Vatican City, on April 29, 2026. Remo Casilli/Reuters
As Secretary of State Marco Rubio prepares to meet with the pontiff at the Vatican later this week, and considering President Donald Trump’s recent critiques aimed at the Chicago-born pontiff, American citizens are expressing favorable views regarding Pope Leo XIV, as well as his declarations concerning conflict and harmony, contrasted with adverse reactions to Trump’s remarks about the pope, according to an ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos survey, employing Ipsos’ KnowledgePanel.
The survey, conducted from April 24-28, also reveals broadly unfavorable sentiments among Americans regarding Trump’s social media publication of a picture suggesting himself as Jesus, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth requesting divine violence in a Pentagon assembly, and Trump’s April message declaring that “a whole civilization will die tonight” in reference to Iran.
Positive assessments of the pope
The ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos survey indicates that the Pope is viewed favorably by a margin exceeding 2-to-1 among Americans: 41% hold a positive view, 16% hold a negative view, and 43% state they lack an opinion. Among American Catholics, this favorable rating increases to 61%, while only 14% express disapproval, and 25% remain neutral. However, these figures are not as robust as those observed for prior popes early in their tenures.
Currently, Pope Leo possesses a 25-point net favorable rating among Americans on the whole, which expands to 47 points among Catholics, marking the lowest score in comparison to the three pontiffs who preceded him.
In 2013, Pope Francis, who served from 2013 until 2025, enjoyed a 55-point favorable margin among Americans and an 88-point margin among Catholics. In 2008, Pope Benedict, a few years into his term, had a 24-point net positive margin among Americans and 61 points among Catholics. And in 1987, Pope John Paul II achieved a 43-point net positive rating among Americans and a 72-point net positive rating among Catholics. Towards the conclusion of Pope John Paul II’s life, he rose to 51 points net positive overall and 79 points net positive among American Catholics in March 2005.
Pope Leo XIV arrives for a weekly general audience in Saint Peter’s Square at the Vatican, April 29, 2026.Remo Casilli/Reuters
Trump and the Pope
This April, Trump incorrectly stated that Pope Leo expressed acceptance of Iran possessing a nuclear weapon. The Pope has consistently advocated for harmony and unity, while denouncing both conflict and violence.
The ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos survey reveals that 66% of Americans demonstrate a positive response to Pope Leo’s appeal on April 7, urging Americans to contact Congress and strive for peace, rejecting conflict; by contrast, 57% express a negative response to Trump’s message: “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.”
President Donald Trump speaks during a signing ceremony for a proclamation to revive the Presidential Fitness Test Award, a competitive school-based fitness program, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, May 5, 2026.Kent Nishimura/AFP via Getty Images
Among American Catholics, viewpoints are comparable: 70% react favorably to Pope Leo’s call for Americans to engage with Congress, while 61% view Trump’s message concerning the Pope and nuclear weapons negatively.
Americans generally hold negative opinions about Trump’s announcement declaring, “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again” should Iran fail to reach an accord with the U.S.: 76% voice a negative response, which includes 53% articulating a strongly adverse reaction.
The majority of Catholics (75%) and Protestants (70%) react negatively to Trump’s message, as do non-Christians (72%).
Trump’s Jesus image
In April, Trump disseminated an AI-generated picture that seemed to portray him as a Christ-like figure giving the impression he was curing a patient. Following criticism from certain MAGA advocates, the image was taken down roughly 13 hours later.
Trump later stated, “I did post it, and I thought it was me as the doctor and it had to do with Red Cross.”
President Donald Trump posted this image that depicted him as a Christ-like figure to his social media platform late Sunday before taking it down on April 13, 2026.@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
Nearly 9 out of 10 Americans voice a negative reaction to Trump posting an image appearing to depict himself as Jesus, including 69% who express a strongly negative reaction in the ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll.
Nine in 10 Protestants have a negative reaction to this, including 68% who are strongly negative. White evangelical Christians, one of Trump’s most loyal groups, are also overwhelmingly negative: 87% say they have a negative reaction to Trump’s post appearing to depict himself as Jesus, including 61% who are strongly negative.
Broad negative responses to Trump’s post extend to Catholics (90% negative, including 67% strongly) along with non-Christians (85% negative, 68% strongly) and those with no religion (87% negative, 75% strongly).
Hegseth’s 'no mercy' prayer
In late March, Hegseth conducted a regular monthly Christian devotion at the Pentagon, during which he prayed for “overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy.” Hegseth identifies as evangelical and frequently portrays the U.S. as a Christian-based country.
Approximately 7 out of 10 Americans state that they react negatively to Hegseth’s plea for no mercy (69%), including nearly half who register as strongly negative (47%).
A small majority of white evangelical Christians (53%) express a negative reaction concerning Hegseth’s prayer, with 25% being strongly negative. An additional 44% are positive.
Most Catholics (68%), non-Christians (71%), and people of no religious affiliation (80%) express a negative reaction towards Hegseth’s “no mercy” invocation.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks at a briefing at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., May 5, 2026.Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
On April 14, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer remarked on the Senate floor about the conflict in Iran: “Our troops deserve a mission, not a mess. They deserve strategy, not chaos.” A 62% majority of Americans show a positive response to Schumer’s assertion.
Majorities of white evangelical Christians (54%) express a negative reaction toward this statement, but most Protestants (56%), Catholics (60%), non-Christians (70%), and individuals with no religion (69%) react positively to Schumer’s remark.
Methodology – This ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos survey encompassed 2,560 U.S. adults overall, with a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points. Questions pertaining to Trump’s self-portrayal as Jesus and the declaration of an entire civilization dying tonight were addressed among a half sample consisting of 1,268-1,292 U.S. adults, carrying an error margin of +/- 2.8 percentage points. Error margins are greater within subgroups, for instance, the 559 Catholics ( +/- 4.3 percentage points) and the 384 White evangelical Christians ( +/- 5.2).
Consult the PDF for complete findings and exhaustive methodological details.
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Further ABC News polls are accessible at abcnews.com. Media contacts: Jeannie Kedas and Van Scott.
Previous releases:
Americans oppose Trump ballroom 2-to-1; even more oppose his signature on money: ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll
Americans are increasingly bleak about their own finances, most say using the US military against Iran was a mistake: ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll
Two-thirds of Americans say country is headed in the wrong direction: ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll
Sourse: abcnews.go.com