Trump's Support Unchanged By Justice Dept. Investigation

Trump supporters are famous for their loyalty to the former reality TV star. The views Americans hold of Donald Trump seem to be unaffected by the various controversies and court cases surrounding the former president.

According to the most recent New York Times/Siena College poll, voters’ views of Trump remain unchanged from July, when the same poll was last taken. Respondents were asked if they had a favorable or unfavorable view of Trump, who they’d vote for in a hypothetical matchup between Trump and President Joe Biden, what they thought about Trump’s actions after the 2020 election, and if they thought Trump had committed any “serious federal crimes.”

The poll was taken after news broke that the Justice Department is investigating Trump’s handling of classified documents, but before the New York State Attorney General announced that she is suing Trump and his businesses.

According to the poll released Thursday, which mirrors the July poll, 44% of Americans hold a favorable view of Trump, compared to 53% who hold an unfavorable view of him.

Thirty-eight percent of respondents said that the former president was “just exercising his right to contest the election” by his actions after the 2020 election, while 54% said “he went so far that he threatened American democracy.”

Meanwhile, 51% of respondents think Trump committed serious federal crimes, while 38% did not.

Oddly, some respondents either feel conflicted about Trump, welcome attempts to end democracy or feel Biden represents an even greater threat. Fourteen percent of respondents indicated that they would vote for Trump in 2024 and also thought his actions after the 2020 election were a threat to American democracy, according to The Times’ summary of the poll.

In a hypothetical matchup between Biden and Trump in 2024, 42% said they would likely vote for Trump, while 45% picked Biden. Fourteen percent indicated they were undecided, wouldn’t vote, or would support a third-party candidate.

The loyalty of Trump supporters has long been a characteristic of his campaign and presidency. During the 2016 campaign, then-candidate Trump bragged that he “could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody” without losing any voters. During his presidency, Trump’s supporters backed the president through a myriad of scandals and an impeachment trial. While Trump’s unfavorability ratings ebbed and flowed with the news, his favorability rating remained largely unaffected.

Trump has hinted that he plans to run in 2024, though no announcement is expected until after November’s midterm elections.