Donald Trump’s influence on the Republican Party likely will remain strong after his second impeachment acquittal, with 45 percent of Republican respondents saying they would support a candidate whom Trump endorsed, according to a new survey by researchers from Northeastern, Harvard, Northwestern, and Rutgers.
Only 11 percent of GOP supporters said that a Trump endorsement would make them less likely to vote for a candidate, while 44 percent said it would have no bearing on their choice. By contrast, a small percentage of Democrats and independents said they would be positively influenced by Trump.
Trump’s support of fellow Republicans may produce mixed results in upcoming elections, says David Lazer, university distinguished professor of political science and computer and information sciences at Northeastern, and one of the researchers who conducted the study.
“You would clearly want Trump’s recommendation if you’re a Republican running for office,” he says with a caveat. “It would help in the primaries, but hurt in a general election.”
