Has Trump’s Grip on The Republican Base Has Weakened?

Bump, P. (2021, April 22). A key question moving forward: Is Trump’s grip on the GOP stronger than his base’s? The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/04/22/trumps-grip-republican-party-isnt-strong-that-his-base/

According to the author a fight broke in April when a former senior member of the Trump's administration released poll results arguing that the former president's grip on the Republican base has weakened. However, Trump and his team pushed back hard. The author says that the news did not get noticed by many because of the Derek Chauvin trial. John Bolton, a super PAC associated with former national security adviser suggested that the political cost of bucking Trump has faded. the argument was that Trump's favorability has fallen and that his endorsement now is not critical. He also added that many Republicans are not planning to support him come 2024. The author says that although those arguments aren’t very strong the favorability drop compares two polls and reveals a shift from very favorable views to somewhat favorable. Reports on 2024 polling shows Trump at 50% among Republican voters, 39% ahead of second place contender. Trump’s top aide, Jason Miller, retweeted 12 rebuttals disparaging Bolton and taking issue with the poll numbers and referenced a past pollster John McLaughlin that showed 835 of Republicans will back Trump in 2024 elections. The author also notes that although Trump carries significant weight with the Republican base, his control over the flow of Trumpism has limits which was evidenced by his departure from the White House and suspension from Social media platforms. The author adds that much of the loyalty that Trump inspires is specific to Trump but not all of it is and most people will peel that loyalty away for their own gain.

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