A recent survey revealed that if found guilty of a felony, almost half of the Republicans polled would not support former President Trump in a vote.
The poll conducted by Reuters/Ipsos showed that 45 percent of the Republican respondents would withhold their vote for Trump if he were convicted, with 35 percent expressing that they would still vote for him. An additional 20 percent were uncertain about their voting decision.
On Tuesday, Trump faced his third indictment on federal charges, which are connected to his actions to retain power following his loss in the 2020 election. The former leader pleaded not guilty to these charges, including conspiracy to defraud the U.S., in Washington on Thursday.
Previously, Trump was charged in Manhattan with 34 felony counts for allegedly falsifying business records concerning a 2016 payment to keep information quiet. In June, charges were brought against him for purportedly mishandling classified information and attempting to prevent the government from retrieving it.
The poll also detailed Republicans’ opinions on Trump’s behavior around specific events. About 53 percent believe he acted correctly on January 6, 2021, while 52 percent feel he was appropriate in consistently declaring the election as fraudulent.
Furthermore, 61 percent of the Republicans surveyed believe Trump’s judgment on January 6 was flawed but not criminally responsible for the Capitol assault. A significant 75 percent see the charges against Trump as driven by political agendas.
Despite these legal challenges, Trump remains a leading contender for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, with 47 percent of Republicans in the poll supporting him. The nearest rivals are Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at 13 percent, followed by former Vice President Mike Pence at 8 percent, and conservative businessman Vivek Ramaswamy at 7 percent, as per the survey’s findings.
