Donald Trump's argument that the 2020 election was rigged has reinforced the views of Americans who are already disenchanted about politics, one factor in their inclination not to cast a vote next year − that is, a vote they would probably cast for him.
An exclusive USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll of unlikely voters − those who are eligible to vote but say they probably won't − give Trump a lopsided edge over President Joe Biden among Americans who are deeply skeptical of politics and government.
Registered voters who say they aren't likely to go to the polls back Trump over Biden by nearly 20 percentage points, 32%-13%, with 27% supporting a third-party or other candidate. Citizens who are eligible to vote but haven't registered also favor Trump by close to 2-1, 28%-15%; 27% prefer another candidate.
If they participated in the election, Trump's advantage among them is so wide that they could shift the political landscape to his advantage. His standing among unlikely voters is much stronger than in surveys of registered or likely voters, which generally show a presidential race that is effectively tied. The latest realclearpolitics.com average of national polls gives Biden a 1-point edge.