August 16, 2023
Trump’s Indictments & 2024
Marist National Poll
Despite Indictments, Republicans Firmly in Trump’s Corner... Trump & Biden Competitive in 2024 Matchup
Many Republicans are unfazed by former President Donald Trump’s legal woes. While a majority of Americans say Trump should abandon his 2024 presidential bid, most Republicans and nearly half of independents want Trump to carry on. About two in three who align with the GOP consider Trump to be the best person to lead the Republican Party in 2024 and plan to back the embattled former president over his Republican rivals. Trump leads GOP primary rival, Ron DeSantis, by more than two-to-one in a head-to-head matchup. And, bolstered by support among independents, Trump runs competitively against President Joe Biden in a general election rematch.
While 52% of Americans think Trump should drop out of the 2024 presidential contest, most Republicans (78%) and 49% of independents say he should remain in the race.
46% of U.S. residents say Trump has done something illegal, down from 51% last month.
29% of Americans, including 43% of Republicans, believe Trump has done something unethical, but not illegal. 22% of Americans say Trump has done nothing wrong which includes 44% of Republicans.
66% of Republicans and Republican leaning independents say Trump is the best person to lead the GOP for 2024. 31% say Trump has too much baggage to be a contender.
Nearly two in three Republicans and Republican leaning independents (65%) say they plan to support Trump in 2024, up from 58% three weeks ago. Of note, the current proportion reflects Trump’s support in June when 64% of this group had this view. 30% of the Republicans and Republican leaning independents currently say they will back another Republican candidate.
Note the survey was fielded August 11th through August 14th, prior to the announcement of Trump’s indictment in Georgia.
"So far, Donald Trump remains the clear GOP frontrunner, unscathed among his Republican base amid mounting indictments," says Lee M. Miringoff, Director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion. "Trump, once again, finds himself in unchartered political territory with the new indictments out of Georgia. It remains to be seen if this latest legal battle will move public opinion."
Trump Leads DeSantis
When Trump faces off against his chief Republican rival, Ron DeSantis, Trump (67%) leads DeSantis (29%) by more than two-to-one.
GOP Prioritizes Principles over Electability
A majority of Republicans and Republican leaning independents (57%), down from 63% in June, think it is more important that the GOP nominee stand on conservative principles than be the best candidate to defeat President Biden in the general election (40%).
Biden & Trump Competitive in 2024 Matchup
In a hypothetical 2024 general election contest, Biden (47%) and Trump (46%) are closely matched, among registered voters, nationally. Trump (48%) is +8 points over Biden (40%) among independents.
Biden Approval Rating Steady in Low 40’s
41% of Americans approve of the job President Biden is doing in office, unchanged from last month. 52% disapprove of Biden’s job performance. 20% of Americans strongly approve of Biden’s job performance, and 41% strongly disapprove.
Most Americans Say Democracy is Under Threat
Regardless of party, 87% of Americans, up from 83% in December of 2022, say there is a serious threat to our democracy. This is the highest proportion of Americans with this view since the question was first asked in January of 2021. Only 12% believe the future of democracy is not threatened by the issues that divide the nation.