Trump’s Still Got It: Half of Republicans Would Leave GOP to Follow Him

Former President Donald Trump will continue to be a guiding force in Republican politics for the foreseeable future. Some will even leave the party to ensure that happens.

In polling of Republican voters released this weekend, nearly half of those polled said they’d split with the party for Trump.

The poll, conducted by Suffolk University and USA Today, shows 46% would “abandon the GOP” and join a new party started by Trump.
One Michigan respondent said he does not feel that “establishment Republicans” fight hard enough, that they “just agree with establishment Democrats.”
The same poll also showed a shift in viewership among Trump voters from Fox News to OANN and Newsmax.
Trump’s continued support is echoed in separate polling conducted by Politico and Morning Consult showing 60% of Republicans want Trump to remain a leading figure in the GOP.
Trump’s command of Republican voters has changed very little, even in the days after the Jan. 6^th attack on the Capitol, according to a January Axios poll showing a majority of Republicans supported his efforts to challenge the 2020 results and want him to be the 2024 nominee.

Slate’s coverage of the poll suggested the only reason they continue to be loyal is because they “believe lies” about the events of Jan. 6^th.
Rolling Stone similarly focused on respondents’ views about Jan. 6^th, that some believe there were leftist elements hidden in the mob that attacked the Capitol (Leftwing activist John Sullivan was arrested for his role in the attack, and subsequently was revealed to have been paid $70,000 by various news organizations for footage shot during the attack).
Newsweek emphasized the shift in news consumption from Fox News to alternative sources, portraying it as a result of the “civil war” inside the Republican Party.

Newsmax’s coverage plays up Trump’s position, saying he “does not just lead the Republican Party still, he ostensibly owns it”, while also touting its new position as Republicans’ most trusted news source.
Townhall’s post on the numbers say it “should terrify the GOP Establishment”, highlighting the support to oust Republican politicians who supported Trump’s impeachment.
In a different survey reported by Breitbart, almost 75% of Republicans polled said the party should style itself more like Trump, with a plurality of no-party-affiliation voters saying the same thing.

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