Bishops Regret Trump Visit as Catholic Approval Slides to 30%

Only 30% of US Catholics currently approve of President Donald Trump’s job performance, a sharp decline from the 47% who approved when he took office in 2025. This new polling data from the Pew Research Center was released on the same day two Catholic bishops expressed regret over a recent meeting with the president at the White House. The meeting, which occurred on October 22, took place less than two weeks before the November 3 midterm elections.

Archbishop Jeffrey Grob of Milwaukee and Bishop William Joensen of Des Moines, Iowa, appeared in photos and video with Trump standing around the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office. The footage was released by Margo Martin, a special assistant to the president, who frequently shares behind-the-scenes images on social media. Grob stated that he had believed the gathering was private and not a political photo opportunity. He noted that none of the participants gave permission for the public distribution of the images.

Joensen explained in a statement that the meeting was organized by White House Faith Office officials to discuss immigration, visas for international clergy, and the exploitation of vulnerable poor persons. He clarified that the group did not intend to endorse any political party or individual candidate. Joensen said he wished he had been more shrewd and less simple, referencing those who he felt exploited the meeting for partisan purposes.

Grob said he began receiving messages of serious concern from congregants after the images surfaced. Some parishioners felt wounded because their families had been harmed by the president's policies. The bishops' comments come amid a contentious relationship between Trump and Pope Leo XIV, whose administration has faced criticism for aggressive immigration enforcement. A separate statement from Bishops Brendon Cahill and Walter Kim of the National Association of Evangelicals recently urged Christian compassion in the immigration debate, citing the fracturing of families and the deprivation of due process.

The White House did not directly address the bishops' comments when contacted by the BBC. Spokeswoman Taylor Rogers issued a statement saying there has never been a greater president for Catholic Americans than Trump, citing his strong record. The shift in Catholic opinion may impact the control of Congress in the upcoming midterms. In the same Pew survey, 42% of Catholics said they preferred the Democratic candidates running in their local House of Representatives races, compared to 39% who favored Republicans.

During his second term, Trump has maintained a tense relationship with the Vatican. Both Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who are both Catholic, have visited the Vatican during this period. Robert Barron of Minnesota and former New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan have also engaged with the administration, with Barron serving on the president's Religious Liberty Commission. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops recently condemned the administration's scrapped plan to livestream a military execution.