The numbers say Donald Trump really is taking the Republican Party down with him
When denouncing Marjorie Taylor Greene and her toxic conspiracy theories and tweets, Rep. Liz Cheney gave a speech that was applauded by social media – perhaps more than it should have been. In her address to Congress, she said a litany of things that weren’t what Republicans were – ie: no death threats, no conspiracy theories, no credence to the hate group that is QAnon. She reiterated that the GOP was the party of Lincoln and Ronald Reagan and appreciated ideas, but what’s noteworthy is that she never said the GOP isn’t the party of Donald Trump – the man who’s responsible for causing the party its most egregious losses in over a century.
Cheney had good reason to do that, of course – not wanting to offend the people in her party still loyal to Trump, with 60% of the party still supporting him and hoping he runs for office again. The problem, however, is that the number of people who have a positive view of the GOP is shrinking rapidly – with just 37% of Americans having a favorable opinion.
That’s a 12-point drop since November, with the Capitol insurrection likely to blame, as tens of thousands of voters have dropped their registration as Republican in critical swing states. By contrast, the Democratic Party has a 48% favorability rating with American voters in the same poll, with overwhelming support for President Biden’s COVID relief plan. It’s yet the latest piece of evidence to suggest that the GOP is stuck regardless of what their feelings are on Donald Trump – whether or not they speak out against him. No wonder they’re so desperate to move on.
James Sullivan is the assistant editor of Brain World Magazine and an advocate of science-based policy making