A majority of voters have named former President Donald Trump the biggest loser of the 2022 midterm cycle, raising questions about his electoral strength as he launches a third White House bid.
About 20% of voters say Trump was the “clear loser” in the midterm elections, with another 14% saying Republicans who ran on his “MAGA” platform had the biggest casualties, according to a Harvard CAPS/Harris poll released on Monday. The numbers come as several Trump-backed candidates lost their high-profile midterm races, calling into question the former president’s lingering influence over the party.
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Comparatively, 14% of voters say mainstream Republicans were the biggest losers on election night, pointing to the party’s worse-than-expected performance. Despite projections that the GOP was favored to seize control of both chambers of Congress, Republicans were dismayed as they failed to capture the Senate and clinched only a slim majority in the House.
Meanwhile, 15% of voters say Democrats sustained the biggest losses as the party lost at least nine seats in the House, ceding control of the lower chamber. Another 23% say they’re unsure who the biggest loser is, the poll shows.
The numbers come as both parties turn their attention to the 2024 elections, when the White House is up for grabs. As Republicans grapple with the disappointment of their lackluster midterm performance, party leaders are at odds over what, or who, is to blame — with many pointing their fingers at the former president.
“Trump emerges from the election a far weaker candidate for reelection than before the midterms,” Mark Penn, co-director of the Harvard CAPS/Harris poll, told the Hill. “He remains under water in his personal rating of 44%, is seen as having backed losing candidates, and now has the possibility of having to fight a real primary in the Republican parties as he drops below 50% in a Republican primary. That’s why voters see him as the biggest loser.”
During the Republican Jewish Coalition conference held over the weekend, several prominent party figures also sought to distance themselves from Trump. Some called the former president out by name for his part in the party’s losses, while others urged voters to look toward a fresh slate of candidates in the 2024 election.
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Meanwhile, some Republicans are considering White House bids of their own, posing serious challenges to Trump’s chances of being reelected. Among those is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is considered a top contender for the GOP presidential nomination.
About 15% of voters say DeSantis was the biggest winner of the midterm elections, citing the Florida Republican’s historic wins across much of the state. Almost half (46%) noted they would vote for DeSantis if Trump did not run in the GOP primary, according to the poll.
