The share of Republicans saying the former president has committed “serious federal crimes” has grown modestly, according to a new poll from The New York Times and Siena College.

He now seems intent on testing the premise of unwavering loyalty behind that statement.

The federal charges against the former president seem to have cost him few, if any, votes in the 2024 election, even as the number of Republicans who think he has committed serious federal crimes has ticked up.

He continues to hold strong in a hypothetical general election matchup, despite the fact that 17 percent of voters who prefer him over President Biden think either that he has committed serious federal crimes or that he threatened democracy with his actions after the 2020 election, according to the latest New York Times/Siena College poll.

“I think he’s committed crimes,” said Joseph Derito, 81, of Elmira, N.Y. “I think he’s done terrible things. But he’s also done a lot of good.”

…

The share of Republicans who say they are not sure whether he committed crimes has also grown, to 13 percent from 10 percent in September. In total, a quarter of Republicans either believe Mr. Trump acted criminally or say they are not sure.

So far, however, having reservations about Mr. Trump’s alleged wrongdoing does not appear to be leading Republican voters to reconsider their support for him. If anything, in public opinion polls conducted when he was indicted in March in Manhattan in relation to hush money payments to a porn star, and then when he was indicted again in June by federal prosecutors in connection with retention of reams of classified national defense material, Mr. Trump was buoyed by Republican voters.

In private conversations, Mr. Trump’s advisers have been blunt — they see the general election as vital to win in order to end the federal prosecutions against him.

The Times/Siena poll has also found that Mr. Trump is leading the field among the likely Republican primary electorate with 54 percent of the vote. The numbers illustrate the challenge for Mr. Trump’s various opponents with less than six months until the Iowa caucuses, and with the prospect that Mr. Trump may be indicted two more times before then in connection with his efforts to thwart the transfer of power after he lost the 2020 election.

  • SecretSauces@lemmy.world
    49·
    1 year ago

    Republicans: “Trump did nothing wrong. And if he did, you can’t prove it. And if you can prove it, it doesn’t matter because he’s done good too!”

    Also Republicans: “Biden is the biggest threat to the United States, democracy, and the world! He should be arrested and removed from office!”

  • HubertManne@kbin.social
    152·
    1 year ago

    Their morality is corrupt. Clinton gets a consensual blowjob while married and its immoral to them that people vote for someone like that for president. Trump brags about grabbing womens vaginas without consent and mind you points out normal folk would not get away with it but he does because he is rich and they see no moral issue with voting for him. Obama does nothing and whelp hes black so no go.

    • qantravon@lemmy.worldEnglish
      11·
      1 year ago

      You’re making a distinction they don’t care about, namely consent. They don’t care about consent.

      "You can do anything — the left will promote and understand and tolerate anything — as long as there is one element. Do you know what it is? Consent.

      “If there is consent on both or all three or all four, however many are involved in the sex act, it’s perfectly fine. Whatever it is. But if the left ever senses and smells that there’s no consent in part of the equation, then here come the rape police. But consent is the magic key to the left.”

      -Rush Limbaugh, 2016

      • Lemmington Bunnie@aussie.zone
        5·
        1 year ago

        This quote is just absolutely balls on head ridiculous. I can’t believe he said this with sincerity.

        “Yes, you pea-brained fool, that’s entirely correct - if someone is involved in a sex act against their will, that is a bad thing.”

        Do these people just have zero morals? It terrifies me that there are people walking around with these sorts of mindsets.

        • jscummy@sh.itjust.works
          4·
          1 year ago

          Yes, Rush, the “rape police” (pretty sure these are normal police) get called when there is a sex act against someone’s consent (textbook definition of rape)

    • 1chemistdown@kbin.social
      4·
      1 year ago

      Well, for Trump, he is rich and we all know god only give that to those he deems worthy, and this Clinton’s didn’t get rich from god; they stole everything from the good hard working godly people of this fine nation.

      You see the difference?!?

  • DarkGamer@kbin.social
    12·
    1 year ago

    It’s hard to convince people who don’t trust evidence, don’t trust experts, and live in societies where they are taught that belief in absurdity and submission to authority are virtues, of anything factual.

    • lobut
      7·
      1 year ago

      I’ve seen a lot of this when hearing creationism/evolution debates. Some of the same people too.

  • Sanctus@lemmy.worldEnglish
    4·
    1 year ago

    He could shur directly in the mouths of their children and they would line up with a bowl.

    There will always be people like this. There will always be those who are willing to do anything for power or the people they perceive as powerful.

    Always watch someone’s idols. People’s interests don’t lie.

  • lynny@lemmy.world
    619·
    1 year ago

    Not hard to vote for a to-be-convicted criminal when the rest of the candidate pool are criminals who will never be convicted.

      • lynny@lemmy.world
        11·
        1 year ago

        I didn’t give a solution, just an observation. People are willing to be forgiving since they feel Trump is working for them more than establishment politicians are.

        Regardless of what you think of it, populism gets votes.

    • Roundcat@kbin.social
      4·
      1 year ago

      Please 🙄 Some people’s idea of a criminal is someone who supports gays getting married, women getting abortions, and people being anything other than Christian.

    • AnonTwo@kbin.social
      4·
      1 year ago

      It should be hard. Regardless of what you think of the other “criminals”, one is being blatant and is very clear on their plans to keep going.