Most white evangelicals satisfied with Trump’s initial response to the COVID-19 outbreak

President Donald Trump has received high marks from white evangelical Protestants on a range of issues throughout his time in office. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States has proved no different – at least in the initial phase of the crisis, according to a new Pew Research Center survey conducted March 10 to 16. Around three-quarters of white evangelicals (77%) say they are at least somewhat confident that Trump is doing a good job responding to the outbreak, and nearly two-thirds (64%) say Trump has assessed the risks of the situation correctly. By comparison, about half of Americans overall (52%) say Trump has underplayed the risks, including majorities who say this among the religiously unaffiliated (64%), black Protestants (67%) and Jews (73%).

• U.S. public sees multiple threats from the coronavirus – and concerns are growing
• Americans immersed in COVID-19 news; most think media are doing fairly well covering it

When Americans think about a specific religion, here are some of the first people who come to mind

Who is the first person who comes to mind when you think of Catholicism?

If your answer contains the word “pope,” you’re in good company. More than half of U.S. adults name the pope (47%) or a specific pope (7%) when asked that question, according to a new analysis of a Pew Research Center survey that asked respondents to name the first person who comes to mind when they think about Catholicism, Buddhism, evangelical Protestantism, Islam, Judaism and atheism. For most of the groups, U.S adults are most likely to name a religious leader or historical figure from that religion – but when it comes to atheism, Americans are much less likely to name a well-known figure.

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How religious institutions are responding to coronavirus