Fresh polling from Quinnipiac University last week demonstrated two truths at once: Donald Trump is still the frontrunner for the GOP nomination in 2024, and he remains uniquely unpopular with a substantial majority of Americans.
The poll found that 66% of all Americans hope Trump won't run in 2024, while just 30% do want him to run. But Republican hopes reflected the exact opposite, with 66% saying they would like to see Trump run while 30% said they do not want him to do so. So Americans are 66-30 against Trump’s candidacy, while Republicans are 66-30 in favor of it. It's probably not coincidental that 66% of Republicans also don’t think Joe Biden's victory was legitimate according to the poll, while 64% of all Americans say it was legitimate.
More than 8 in 10 Republicans (85%) also said they would prefer to see candidates running for elected office who mostly agree with Trump.
"The numbers fly in the face of any predictions that Donald Trump's political future is in decline," said Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy. "By a substantial majority, Republicans: (1) believe the election was stolen from him, (2) want Trump to run again, and (3), if they can't vote for Trump, prefer someone who agrees with him."
All that said, Trump being the de facto standard bearer of the party could prove perilous for the GOP. As we now know, it's entirely possible that Trump and/or members of his inner circle could be criminally indicted by year's end—a development that will not make the GOP's path to regaining a majority next year any easier.
Also, while two-thirds of Republicans are still gaga over Trump, nearly a third of GOP voters don't want him to run and also don't have any illusions about the fact that he lost the 2020 election—even as almost the entire party continues to push the Big Lie. Trump is polarizing and divisive, and not just between the two parties—he also divides the Republican Party against itself. That's not a dynamic any political strategist wishes upon their party, no matter how galvanizing someone might be for a majority of Republicans.
The poll found that 66% of all Americans hope Trump won't run in 2024, while just 30% do want him to run. But Republican hopes reflected the exact opposite, with 66% saying they would like to see Trump run while 30% said they do not want him to do so. So Americans are 66-30 against Trump’s candidacy, while Republicans are 66-30 in favor of it. It's probably not coincidental that 66% of Republicans also don’t think Joe Biden's victory was legitimate according to the poll, while 64% of all Americans say it was legitimate.
More than 8 in 10 Republicans (85%) also said they would prefer to see candidates running for elected office who mostly agree with Trump.
"The numbers fly in the face of any predictions that Donald Trump's political future is in decline," said Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy. "By a substantial majority, Republicans: (1) believe the election was stolen from him, (2) want Trump to run again, and (3), if they can't vote for Trump, prefer someone who agrees with him."
All that said, Trump being the de facto standard bearer of the party could prove perilous for the GOP. As we now know, it's entirely possible that Trump and/or members of his inner circle could be criminally indicted by year's end—a development that will not make the GOP's path to regaining a majority next year any easier.
Also, while two-thirds of Republicans are still gaga over Trump, nearly a third of GOP voters don't want him to run and also don't have any illusions about the fact that he lost the 2020 election—even as almost the entire party continues to push the Big Lie. Trump is polarizing and divisive, and not just between the two parties—he also divides the Republican Party against itself. That's not a dynamic any political strategist wishes upon their party, no matter how galvanizing someone might be for a majority of Republicans.