New Poll Reveals Pope Leo XIV’s Popularity Soars After AI Encyclical as President Trump's Declines Amid Iran War

WASHINGTON — A dramatic gap has opened up in public favorability between Pope Leo XIV and U.S. President Donald Trump. According to a new Economist/YouGov survey, the American-born pontiff now leads the president by a staggering 54 percentage points in net favorability.
The poll, conducted from May 29 to June 1, 2026, followed the release of Pope Leo's highly anticipated first encyclical, "Magnifica Humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence." At the same time, public sentiment has soured regarding President Trump's handling of the ongoing war in Iran and persistent inflation.

The Favorability Breakdown

The poll measured the net favorability (favorable minus unfavorable ratings) of several major public figures:

• Pope Leo XIV: +37% (The highest net rating among all figures polled)

• Former Vice President Kamala Harris: -3%

• Vice President JD Vance: -8%

• President Donald Trump: -17%

Broad Alignment on Artificial Intelligence

The survey highlights widespread American anxiety regarding tech trends, aligning closely with the Pope's new message. A clear majority of Americans (65%) believe artificial intelligence is advancing too quickly.

Furthermore, the public overwhelmingly echoes the Pope’s ethical guidelines for tech:

• 61% of respondents agree with Pope Leo that AI can be used for good, provided that unique human dignity is fiercely protected.

• 83% agree with a core philosophical passage from the encyclical, which states that artificial intelligence cannot truly experience life, feel joy or pain, grow through relationships, or understand concepts like love, work, friendship, and responsibility.

Trump’s Numbers Under Pressure

Conversely, a record-high 61% of Americans now disapprove of Donald Trump’s job performance as president, with pollsters pointing to rising economic anxieties and the military conflict in Iran as primary drivers.

A separate national survey by the Marquette Law School Poll echoed these findings, tracking Trump’s overall approval down to 38%. Despite the slide in general popularity, Trump maintains a grip on his base: 71% of Republicans stated they would vote for a primary candidate endorsed by Trump, while only 20% would back an incumbent Republican he opposed.