WASHINGTON — The political fates of Donald Trump and the Republican Party depend on a large group of voters who don't really consider themselves Republicans. They're much more loyal to Trump than the GOP.
According to an NBC News poll released in November, 34% of GOP voters consider themselves more supporters of Trump than supporters of the Republican Party. If the former president had formed a third party two years ago, 46% of his supporters would back the Trump Party, while 27% would champion the GOP, according to a 2021 Suffolk University/USA TODAY poll.
Trump's solid political base – estimated at between 30% and 40% of Republican primary voters – is fueling his dominance in polls on the crowded Republican field. And that dominance comes after four indictments in 2023, fallout from the Capitol riot and more.
