An unwillingness to compromise is a common denominator among supporters of Donald Trump in his bid to return to the White House, according to Pew Research.
A new national survey of Republican and Republican-leaning registered voters found 63% believe it is important for a Republican nominee to avoid compromising their agenda, compared to only 36% who want their candidate to find common ground with Democrats.
“His supporters stand out for their desire for a presidential candidate who will push hard for policies that Republican voters want, even if it makes it much harder to get some things done,” the Pew summary notes.
When the same question is asked of all Republican and Republican-leaning voters, including those who prefer a different Republican candidate than Trump, voters are split 50/49 on this question. That means Trump voters are the drivers of the no-compromise sector of the Republican Party.
By comparison, Pew adds: “Four years ago, 63% of Democratic voters said it was more important for a Democratic candidate to focus on finding common ground with Republicans if elected, while 35% said it was more important to push hard for policies Democrats wanted.”
The survey was conducted Nov. 27-Dec. 3, 2023. In line with other recent polls of likely voters, Pew found Trump with “a substantial lead over his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination.”
More than half (52%) of Republican voters named Trump as their first choice for the nomination in response to an open-ended question. That’s up 10 points from the share of Republican voters who favored Trump in May 2016 before his election in November that year. What’s more, 71% of Republican voters this year told Pew they would be satisfied if Trump becomes the 2024 nominee.
Currently, the preference among Republican voters for other candidates pales in comparison to Trump: Ron DeSantis (14%), Nikki Haley (11%), Vivek Ramaswamy (3%), Chris Christie (1%) as their first choice for the party’s nomination.
Among all American voters, poll respondents gave higher marks to the Democratic Party than the Republican Party in being willing to work across the aisle, in being concerned about “people like me,” in being concerned about the middle class, in trying to unite the country, and in governing in honest and ethical ways. But Americans in general said Republicans can do one thing better than Democrats: “effectively manage the federal government.”
Among Republican and Republican-leaning voters, 62% believe Trump’s influence on the Republican Party has been positive. Only 25% believe Trump has been a negative influence on the party.
Meanwhile, Americans in general are not pleased with Biden’s track record as president. Only 33% currently approve of his job performance, while 64% disapprove. Biden gets higher marks from Black voters and Black Protestants, but only 13% of white evangelical Protestants approve of his job performance.
Biden’s approval rating hit a high-water mark in early April 2021 at 59%.
By comparison, Trump’s net approval rating during his four years as president peaked at 45% in March 2020 but mainly hovered in the high 30s. After the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, 54% of Americans said they thought Trump should resign and not complete the last days of his term.
The American electorate also has a dim view of Congress. Only 23% report a favorable view of Congress, while 74% report a negative view. This question addresses Congress in general, not any specific elected official.
Pew explains: “Congress has been viewed unfavorably by the majority of the public for the last several years. And while these views are relatively unchanged since July, Congress’ favorability ratings are some of the most negative seen in nearly four decades of public opinion polling.”
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