Contrary to what Trump and other Republican officials have said, we have no reason to believe that the FBI and Justice Department are not acting in good faith and abiding by the law, said political consultant Douglas E. Schoen in an article published in The Hill.
While a majority of Americans (54%) approve of the FBI´s search, there are strong partisan divides: 86% of Democrats “overwhelmingly” approve the search, compared to just 21% of Republicans, according to new Economist/YouGov polling.
The same poll found that, following the search, Republicans have a 14-point voter enthusiasm advantage over Democrats this year — as two-thirds (66%) of Republicans say they are “more enthusiastic” about voting in this year’s midterms compared to previous years, versus 52% of Democrats.
Prior to the Mar-a-Lago search, Trump was slowly but surely losing steam among Republican voters, aside from his most ardent supporters. But in the aftermath, Trump’s lead over his most formidable 2024 rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, widened by 10-points. Trump now leads DeSantis 57% to 17% among registered Republicans, according to Politico/Morning Consult polling.
Ultimately, the GOP´s response to the FBI´s search underscores that – much to the chagrin of many rank-and-file Republicans – the Republican Party is still Donald Trump´s party.
Moreover, if such a probe does not find that Trump committed any crimes — or more likely, does not find that he committed any very serious crimes — the FBI’s actions will have cemented Donald Trump’s place as the 2024 Republican nominee for president, setting back the establishment’s efforts to finally move on from Donald Trump.
pll/oda/dfm
