BETHLEHEM, Pa. — President Donald Trump’s latest target, Pope Leo XIV, could present political risks that differ from his past high-profile attacks, particularly among Catholic voters in key swing states.
That was the takeaway from Muhlenberg College political scientist Chris Borick on the latest episode of Lehigh Valley Political Pulse.
Trump recently called the first American pope "weak on crime" and "too liberal" after the pontiff criticized aspects of U.S. immigration policy and urged opposition to war.
While Trump has built a political brand on blunt, often personal attacks, Borick said this moment stands apart.
“You’re going after the Pope,” Borick said. “You can critique a Pope’s policies … to go after the Pope personally … I think moves us into some different terrain.”
'Fail to see a clear upside'
Catholics make up about one in five Americans and play an outsized role in battleground states such as Pennsylvania. But the group is politically divided, with regular Mass-goers tending to be more conservative and less observant Catholics often more liberal.
That split has made Catholic voters a key swing bloc and one that could be sensitive to Trump’s rhetoric.
“I fail to see a clear upside to this from a political perspective at all,” Borick said.
While some Trump allies, including Steve Bannon, have suggested the attacks could energize conservative Catholics, Borick questioned that logic.
“They’re probably there already,” he said, warning the bigger risk is alienating more moderate Catholics who could decide close elections.
The clash comes at a historic moment for the church, with the first American pope leading a global institution with more than a billion followers and significant diplomatic influence.
“If you have the pope kind of emphasizing these aspects of Catholic social teachings … that’s going to have an effect,” Borick said.
'Maybe that cuts a few folks away'
Recent controversies, including an AI-generated image posted by Trump depicting himself in religious imagery, could compound that impact, particularly among voters already uneasy about the country’s direction.
“If I get double hit … those are two hits back to back this week,” Borick said.
Trump has long maintained strong support from religious conservatives, many of whom backed him for policy reasons, including Supreme Court appointments. But Borick said repeated controversies could begin to test that relationship at the margins.
“Maybe that cuts a few folks away from the binds,” he said.
With elections often decided by narrow margins, even small shifts among Catholic voters could carry significant consequences.
Watch the full episode in the video player above, and catch our policy interviews with the candidates next week in our PA-7 Talks series. Subscribe to the PBS39 YouTube channel to make sure that you don't miss an episode.
