Republican primary competitors are trying to use Donald Trump’s two indictments to persuade the base that he cannot win a general election in 2024.
Trump leads the GOP by a big margin, but most Americans are starting to understand the federal allegations.
A USA TODAY/Suffolk University survey revealed 34% of GOP and independent voters were less likely to support the former president due to his legal issues. According to ABC News/Ipsos, two-thirds of independents consider these claims serious.
Trump is the front-runner, but this has created a rift that even staunch conservatives like former House Speaker Paul Ryan warn cannot be ignored before next year’s elections.
Florida already has two 2020 presidential candidates—Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis—but they’ll have to make space for one more Sunshine State citizen. After Trump was charged, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez joined the race.
After being the liberal face of the 2016 Trump campaign-Russia connection probes, California Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff has been a target of conservatives and Trump sympathizers.
This week, House Republicans tried to reprimand Schiff but faced internal opposition.
Most Americans support racial equality, but Republican-led legislatures like Texas have banned diversity, equity, and inclusion offices at public colleges and universities starting in 2024.
After the Taylor Swift fiasco, Ticketmaster and SeatGeek scrapped hidden concert ticket surcharges, and President Joe Biden is strutting.
Trump’s indictments deter Republicans and independents.
Trump is highlighting the FBI indictment as “election interference” by President Joe Biden and the Democrats. Republican polls suggest the grievance campaign is succeeding.
In the USA TODAY/Suffolk University survey, 11% said the recent indictment made them more inclined to vote for Trump, while 51% said it doesn’t matter.
However, one-third of Republicans and independents said it turned them off, and other studies suggest voters of all hues are sick of the circus.
Politics: Donald Trump’s indictments will dominate 2024, but no one knows how.
The ABC News/Ipsos survey found 38% of Republicans consider the federal indictment accusations as serious, compared to 21% for the hush money New York indictment two months earlier.
54% of independents felt the New York indictment was serious, while 63% now think mishandling government documents is severe. Trump faces at least two more legal cases.
The GOP is fractured, and conservative leaders are paying heed.
“I want to win, and if we nominate Trump we’re going to lose,” former House Speaker Paul Ryan told CBS Mornings.
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez wants to fight.
The 45-year-old Republican, the only Hispanic contender in 2024, promised voters answers, not division.
“In Miami, we stopped waiting for Washington to lead,” he added in his introduction video. “America’s so-called leaders confuse being loud with actually leading.”
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez enters 2024 contest. His GOP bid matters and how he may win.
Suarez, a Cuban immigrant, was president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
