A record number of Republicans believe that a third political party is needed, with a significant majority of Republican voters holding this view, new research shows.
Amid what some have described as a “republican civil war” centered around the future of the Republican Party and its relationship with former President Donald Trump, there appears to be significant frustration among party voters. While several Republican leaders want the party to expel Trump and his influence in the future, a large faction of the party and many Republican lawmakers believe the ex-president’s movement is his path to success.
A poll conducted by Gallup from January 21 to February 2, published on Monday, showed that 63 percent of Republicans think a new third is needed. This is a significant jump from Gallup’s previous 54 percent rise in December 2018.
Meanwhile, a plurality (40 percent) of Republicans and independents who lean towards Republicans want the Republican Party to become more conservative. Almost a third (34 percent) want the Republican Party’s policy to remain almost the same and approximately a quarter (24 percent) want the party’s views to become more subdued.
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A significant majority of Republicans also believe that Trump should remain the leader of the Republican Party. While 68% of Republican voters want the ex-president to remain the dominant force in his political party, only 31% are looking for a new leader.
The Gallup survey is in line with another recent survey by CBS News / YouGov. The previous poll, published last Tuesday, showed that 70 percent of Republicans would join or consider joining a new party if Trump formed him. This included a third party (33 percent) who said “yes”, they would definitely join the new party and 37 percent who answered “maybe”. Only 30% of Republicans said they would not join a Trump-centered political party.
There has been talk by both the pro-Trump and “Never Trump” factions of the GOP to form a new third party. It remains to be seen whether these discussions will materialize into a viable political movement, but it appears, from recent polls and the actions of Republican lawmakers, that Trump’s faction in the Republican Party holds a significant majority.
While the Senate impeachment trial vote to condemn Trump for helping to incite the US Capitol riot on January 6 was the most bipartisan in American history, the vast majority of Republican senators voted to absolve Trump. Only seven Republicans voted alongside all 50 members of the Senate’s democratic bench, making the final vote 57 to 43. However, this was 10 votes below the constitutional limit of the two-thirds majority (67 senators) required for the conviction. .
After the vote, Trump released a statement rejecting the trial as a “witch hunt” and suggesting future political ambitions. Several associates of the former president have said publicly that he can run for president again in 2024.
“Our historic, patriotic and beautiful movement for Make America Great Again has just begun. In the coming months, I have a lot to share with you and I hope to continue our incredible journey together to achieve American greatness for all of our people,” Trump said in the statement. Saturday.
“We have a lot of work ahead of us and we will soon come up with a vision for a bright, radiant and unlimited American future,” he added.