Former President Donald Trump has gained considerable support among Catholic voters in the U.S., outpacing President Joe Biden.

What Happened: A Pew Research poll reveals that 55% of Catholics now favor Trump over Biden in a potential face-off.

This is a marked shift from the 2020 election, where Trump only held a slim lead of 50% to 49%.

The poll also shows that Biden's Catholic support has dwindled to 43%. This 12% swing in favor of Trump signals a significant shift in Catholic voter sentiment.

Despite identifying as a practicing Catholic, Biden's positions on issues such as pro-choice deregulation and gender ideology affirmation have faced criticism from Catholic leaders, according to Fox News. 

Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington, D.C., previously labeled Biden a "cafeteria Catholic" for his selective adherence to the faith.

Interestingly, Biden still holds a slight lead among Hispanic Catholics, with a narrow margin of 49%-47%. This is a significant shift to the right for this demographic, as a similar 2020 poll showed Hispanic Catholics favoring Biden over Trump with a 67%-26% split.

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The poll also found that approximately 60% of Protestants support Trump, while about 38% favor Biden.

Atheists, agnostics and the religiously unaffiliated back Biden, with approximately 69% supporting the Democratic incumbent and only 28% supporting Trump.

Why It Matters: This shift in Catholic voter sentiment comes as a surprise, given the earlier polls in May 2024 suggested a potential defeat for Trump against Biden.

However, April's polls showed a thin lead for Trump. By the end of April, Trump had outpaced Biden by a slim margin of two points, suggesting a tightening race.

This recent surge in Catholic support for Trump could impact the upcoming elections.

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This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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