A solid three-quarters of Republicans now expect former President Donald Trump to be their GOP presidential nominee next year, the latest evidence that as the indictments against him stack up, the more popular he becomes.
In the latest Rasmussen Reports survey, for example, he crossed the 51% favorability line among all likely voters and is at 73% among Republicans and 47% with independent voters.
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The survey was shared with Secrets minutes after Trump confirmed that special investigator Jack Smith has named him as a “target” of a Jan. 6 investigation into the meddling of the 2020 election.
“Deranged Jack Smith, the prosecutor with Joe Biden’s DOJ, sent a letter (again, it was Sunday night!) stating that I am a TARGET of the January 6th Grand Jury investigation,” Trump wrote. He said that he expects “an arrest and indictment” within days.
He already faces two other indictments and could get hit with a fourth. As they add up, Trump has put forth a “bring it on” attitude, believing that his MAGA supporters will stick with him.
So far, according to the Rasmussen survey, they are.
The key question in the new poll was the expectation that he will eventually be the nominee. Trump has nearly a dozen competitors, the closest being Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL). But since his first indictment in March when he was hit with 34 felony counts in connection with hush money payments to a porn star, the gap between the ex-president and DeSantis has grown.
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In the new poll, 68% of all voters — Republicans, Democrats, and independents — expect Trump to secure the nomination. Of those, 37% believe it is “very likely” he will get it.
The analysis added, “Majorities of every political category — 76% of Republicans, 65% of Democrats and 63% of unaffiliated voters — believe it is at least somewhat likely Trump will end up being the Republican presidential nominee in 2024.”
