Donald Trump has spent weeks raging against Pope Leo’s criticism of the Iran war, culminating in his most aggressive attack yet. The former president accused the Pope of “endangering a lot of Catholics” by advocating for peace.
Yet a new Washington Post poll indicates that Trump is losing this battle decisively. Large majorities of Americans now react negatively to his claims about the Pope, while even larger majorities approve of the Pope’s message of peace—despite Trump’s relentless campaign of lies and propaganda targeting both the Pope and the war.
We spoke with scholar-of-religion Sarah Posner, a contributor to Talking Points Memo and host of the Reign of Error podcast, to analyze the poll’s implications. Our discussion covered:
- Why this polling data reveals unexpected optimism for progressive causes;
- The growing divide between white Evangelicals and Catholics over Trump’s leadership;
- How MAGA ideology fuels Trump’s belief that he is engaged in a spiritual war against the Pope; and
- Why this framing poses a major political liability for Trump.
Listen to the full episode here.
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