JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
In the final days before the midterm elections, politicians are talking about religion, and not everyone is happy about what they're saying. In Michigan, the U.S. Senate race has been marked by anti-Muslim rhetoric, and many American Catholics were recently surprised to see a group of bishops praying with President Trump in the Oval Office. And we know that one prominent Catholic has already voted. According to the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV cast a vote by mail. That makes him the first pope to vote in an American general election. NPR religion correspondent Jason DeRose is on the line now. Hey there.
JASON DEROSE, BYLINE: Hello.
SUMMERS: So, Jason, elsewhere in the program, we heard from one of our colleagues who's been reporting from Michigan. That's a big Senate race where Democrat Abdul El-Sayed is facing Republican former Congressman Mike Rogers. And the rhetoric has gotten quite heated there. Tell us more.
DEROSE: Well, as you know, the Michigan Senate seat is a toss-up, and so control of the Senate could come down to Michigan. And here is an example of this anti-Muslim language in the race. At a recent rally, President Trump stumped for the GOP Senate candidate by saying, without evidence...
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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I'm here to keep a jihadist Muslim Brotherhood member from becoming a United States Senator.
DEROSE: I'll point out that Abdul El-Sayed says he has no affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood. And, you know, Juana, accusations like this have been bandied about since El-Sayed, who's Muslim, won the Democratic nomination this summer, but now it's coming from the highest levels of government, the president.
SUMMERS: And we know that Michigan has one of the largest Muslim populations in the country. What are Muslims there saying?
DEROSE: Well, I spoke to Imam Dawud Walid, who's the executive director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
DAWUD WALID: In my 21 years of being with the Council on American-Islamic Relations, I have never seen this level of racism and anti-Muslim animus in our political discourse.
DEROSE: And he points to the way this anti-Muslim language, especially calling a Senate candidate a jihadist, makes everyday Muslims who make their lives in Michigan feel dehumanized and afraid. And he says he's hopeful voters will see through what he calls a scare tactic and vote based on policy, not prejudice.
SUMMERS: On another topic, the White House recently shared pictures and video of Catholic bishops praying over President Trump in the Oval Office. What's the response been like?
DEROSE: Well, several bishops who participated in that meeting have issued statements saying they were not there to support Donald Trump or his policies. Milwaukee Archbishop Jeffrey Grob has issued a public apology for the pain the photo caused, but he also said the White House manipulated the situation. And bishop of Gallup, New Mexico, James Wall, says he and others attended the meeting to discuss immigration, and he's unhappy with how the White House has used photos of that event.
SUMMERS: Jason, what are other Catholics saying?
DEROSE: Well, I called Natalia Imperatori-Lee, who teaches theology at Fordham University. She's Catholic herself, and she's skeptical of the Bishop's apologies.
NATALIA IMPERATORI-LEE: You don't get to be a bishop in the Catholic Church by being politically naive or politically ignorant. And so the idea of them being duped does not feel as genuine as I think they may mean it.
DEROSE: She says, of course, clergy pray for political leaders, but bishops should know how their actions could be perceived, especially this close to Election Day.
SUMMERS: Jason, last thing, do we have a sense of how Catholic voters feel about the president now?
DEROSE: Well, Juana, a recent poll from Pew Research shows Catholic support for President Trump is down quite a lot, 20 points down, in fact, since Inauguration Day last year. So some might see this photo op as an attempt to sway Catholics, but it might have actually backfired.
SUMMERS: NPR religion correspondent Jason DeRose. Thanks.
DEROSE: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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