politics
Poll Shows Majority Disapproval of Religious Rhetoric by Trump and Hegseth
A Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll found that 87 percent of Americans disapproved of an AI-generated image posted by President Trump depicting him as Jesus. The survey also showed 69 percent disapproval of a prayer by Hegseth at the Pentagon invoking overwhelming violence.
May 6, 9:19 AM·2m read1 source
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The survey showed contrasting positive views toward Pope Leo XIV after the pontiff pushed back against the administration on issues including immigration and the war in Iran. Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself as Jesus on Truth Social that drew backlash and was later deleted.
The poll recorded 87 percent disapproval of the post. A separate 69 percent of respondents expressed dislike for Hegseth's prayer at the end of March during a religious service at the Pentagon that called for overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy.
The same post and prayer drew negative reactions from within the president's own political base. Eighty percent of Trump's 2024 voters and 79 percent of Republicans viewed the Jesus image negatively. By contrast, more than half of Americans agreed with Leo's message that war should be rejected.
The poll found 41 percent of those familiar with the pontiff viewed him favorably while 16 percent viewed him unfavorably. Leo denounced the delusion of omnipotence fueling the war in Iran. Trump responded by accusing the pontiff of endangering Catholics through support for Iran's nuclear weapons program.
" >The mission of the Church is to proclaim the Gospel, to preach peace. If someone wants to criticise me for proclaiming the Gospel, let them do so truthfully. — Pope Leo XIV (The Independent) The pontiff responded to the accusation on Wednesday without naming Trump directly.
The exchange occurs ahead of a scheduled meeting Thursday between the pontiff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Vatican described as a frank conversation about the administration's policies. Hegseth has incorporated his Evangelical Christian faith into public remarks at the Pentagon.
