A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll revealed that approximately half of Republicans would not vote for former President Donald Trump if he were convicted of a felony. The two-day poll, conducted before Trump’s court appearance and plea of not guilty in the latest indictment against him, asked respondents if they would support Trump for president in the event of a felony conviction.
Among Republican respondents, 45% stated they would not vote for him, while 35% said they would still support him. The remaining respondents were undecided. Similarly, 52% of Republicans said they would not vote for Trump if he were serving time in prison, with only 28% expressing continued support.
The poll also showed that Republicans largely sympathize with Trump’s claims of political persecution. 75% of Republican respondents agreed that the charges against Trump were politically motivated, while 20% disagreed, and the rest were uncertain.
Regarding the latest indictment’s accusation that Trump solicited election fraud, two-thirds of Republicans (66%) deemed it “not believable,” while 29% found it believable, and others were unsure.
Interestingly, when asked how a felony conviction would impact their voting behavior in an abstract sense, 71% of Republicans said they would not vote for a convict, compared to 52% if the convict were Donald Trump. This indicates that while some Republicans may still support Trump despite a conviction, they are more likely to withhold their vote for an unnamed felon.
Trump has faced multiple criminal cases, including the recent indictment alleging his involvement in a conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election results. Separate cases in New York state court and federal court also charge him with other offenses related to hush money payments and retaining classified documents after leaving office.
Despite these legal challenges, Trump continues to enjoy substantial support in polls. A New York Times/Siena College poll showed Trump leading Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis by a wide margin of 37 percentage points among likely Republican primary voters. Trump received 54% support, while DeSantis trailed at 17%, and other candidates polled at much lower percentages.
