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Pope Leo XIV, JD Vance talk Ukraine peace efforts
Pope Leo XIV and U.S. Vice President JD Vance met at the Vatican on Monday ahead of a flurry of U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to make progress on a ceasefire in Russia’s war in Ukraine. Vance, a Catholic convert, had led the U.S. delegation to the formal Mass opening the pontificate of the first American pope. Joining him at the meeting on Monday was Secretary of State Marco Rubio, also a Catholic, Vance spokesperson Luke Schroeder said.
LOS ANGELES - Pope Leo XIV is the most positively viewed figure in America today, according to a new Gallup poll that compared favorability ratings for 14 high-profile leaders across politics and public life. The American-born pontiff earned a +46 net-favorability score in the July 7–21 survey, a far stronger showing than any political figure measured — including those with strong party followings.
The poll highlights how political polarization continues to define public opinion of U.S. and international officials, while Leo’s broad appeal spans across party lines.
Who has the highest and lowest ratings in the Gallup poll?
By the numbers:
Gallup measured both favorable and unfavorable views of each figure and calculated net favorability — the difference between the two — to account for differences in name recognition.
- Pope Leo XIV: 57% favorable, 11% unfavorable → +46 net
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy: 46% favorable, 28% unfavorable → +18 net
- Bernie Sanders: 50% favorable, 39% unfavorable → +11 net
- Donald Trump: 39% favorable, 55% unfavorable → -16 net
- Elon Musk: 33% favorable, 61% unfavorable → -28 net
Other prominent figures with net-negative ratings include President Joe Biden (-11), Vice President JD Vance (-11), Governor Gavin Newsom (-11), and Secretary of State Marco Rubio (-16). French President Emmanuel Macron and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had roughly even favorability splits with large percentages of respondents saying they had no opinion.
How did Pope Leo XIV perform across party lines?
Dig deeper:
Pope Leo XIV is the only figure in the Gallup survey with a net positive favorability among Democrats, Republicans, and independents. While support is stronger on the left — 65% of liberals view him favorably compared to 46% of conservatives — his ratings remain positive among all ideological groups.
That marks a shift from the early days of Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, who were initially viewed more favorably by conservatives. Francis’ ratings later flipped, with stronger support from liberals, a pattern Leo appears to be continuing.
A crowd waves American flags during a political event in the United States. A new Gallup poll shows Pope Leo XIV is the most favorably viewed public figure among Americans. (Photo by KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
Among American Catholics, Pope Leo holds a 76% favorable rating — slightly below the 80% favorability Pope Francis received in his first Gallup poll and above Pope Benedict’s 67% debut.
Which political figures are gaining or losing ground?
The backstory:
While Leo’s image is rising, several current and former Trump administration figures are seeing declines in favorability. Elon Musk and Marco Rubio saw the sharpest drops — each down 24 points in net favorability since January.
- Musk fell from -4 to -28, after stepping down from his role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency and publicly clashing with Trump.
- Rubio dropped from +8 to -16. He currently serves as Secretary of State and leads the National Security Council.
Donald Trump, JD Vance, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also saw 13- to 14-point drops in their net ratings, though their overall favorability remained higher among Republicans.
Biden’s favorability, meanwhile, held steady. His 43% favorable rating is up slightly from 39% in January and consistent with his scores throughout last fall.
Who stands out among Democrats?
What they're saying:
Bernie Sanders remains the most popular figure among Democrats with a +75 net favorability rating. He also holds a slightly net-positive image among independents. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is similarly popular with Democrats but has more mixed or neutral ratings from independents and Republicans.
Gavin Newsom and Emmanuel Macron are viewed more positively by Democrats than Republicans, though with lower name recognition. Biden remains net-positive among Democrats but net-negative overall.
What's next:
Pope Leo’s debut poll numbers suggest broad goodwill across the political spectrum. Whether that support holds as his papacy develops — especially on potentially divisive social and political issues — remains to be seen.
For political figures, the Gallup results reinforce existing trends: partisanship remains the defining factor in public image, with few leaders able to generate widespread appeal. Pope Leo stands out as a rare exception, at least for now.
The Source: This article is based on a July 2025 Gallup poll measuring favorability ratings for 14 public figures in the U.S. and abroad. Data includes net favorability scores and demographic breakdowns of how figures are viewed by party and ideology. Additional context was drawn from Gallup’s historical polling on Pope Francis, Pope Benedict XVI, and other political leaders.