How faith groups rate President Joe Biden

Most Christians in the United States hold an unfavorable view of President Joe Biden, according to a new survey from Pew Research Center.

Pew found that 66% of American Christians rate Biden unfavorably, including 86% of white evangelical Protestants and 64% of Catholics.

Biden is viewed more favorably by Black Protestants, as well as by Jews.

“Majorities of Black Protestants (66%), Jews (62%) and atheists (59%) rate Biden favorably,” Pew reported.

How faith groups rate Trump

Former President Donald Trump is also viewed unfavorably by most U.S. Christians, although he enjoys strong support from white evangelicals.

“White evangelical Protestants (67%) are the most likely to hold favorable views of Trump, while far fewer Black Protestants (17%) ... take this stance,” Pew reported.

Overall, 53% of American Christians hold an unfavorable view of Trump, Pew found.

Should presidents be religious?

While members of different faith groups hold varying views on Trump and Biden, nearly all people of faith agree that it’s important for a president to live a moral and ethical life.

Ninety-six percent of Protestants and Catholics, 94% of Jews and 91% of Muslims rated that quality as important in the Pew survey.

Pew also identified strong support for the idea that a president should stand up for people with their religious beliefs.

Seventy-six percent of U.S. Christians, including 81% of Protestants and 68% of Catholics, said it’s important for the president to defend their beliefs.

Religious voters in 2020

Pew’s new data repeats some of the patterns observed on Election Day in 2020.

Biden won the White House thanks, in part, to strong support from religiously unaffiliated voters and Jews.

His results were more mixed among Catholics, and white evangelicals overwhelmingly preferred Trump.

Here’s the share of major faith groups that voted for Biden in 2020, according to the Survey Center on American Life:

• 18% of white evangelicals.

• 49% of Catholics.

• 68% of Jews.

• 72% of religious “nones.”

One factor that likely explains Jews’ ongoing support for Biden is that faith group’s strong belief that Biden stands up for people who hold their beliefs.

Nearly three-quarters of Jews (73%) say that Biden “stands up for people with religious beliefs similar to theirs,” compared to 24% of white evangelicals, 34% of Muslims and 49% of atheists, according to Pew.

Biden, who is Catholic and has attended Mass regularly over his time in office, continues to struggle to win the support of his own faith community. Fewer than half (44%) of Catholics say that Biden stands up for people who hold their beliefs, Pew reported.