Poll Shows Further Drop in Catholic Support for Trump

Trump is eroding support from Catholics, according to a new poll released this week from the Pew Research Center. 

Trump's approval among Catholics has dropped from 45% in January to 41% in June. Although his support among white evangelical Protestants remains high, Trump has experienced a 6-percentage-point drop from 78% in April to 72% in June among U.S. adults who say they "approve of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president."

The latest findings come just weeks after Trump made a number of high-profile blunders meant to appeal to religious voter but which ended up backfiring through his incompetence and insensitivity.  He sent goons with tear gas in to clear peaceful anti-racist protestors the area around  St. John's Protestant Episcopal Church in order to hold a photo op.  The federal police also expelled an Episcopal priest and seminarian from parish grounds to make way for the president's photo op.

Later his stunt at the St. John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, DC brought rebukes from the Archbishop of Washington, a local Knights of Columbus council and many Catholic clergy, religious and laypeople.