Record number of GOPs interested in third parties and 40% want it to be more conservative: poll

A record number of Republicans believe a third political party is needed, with a significant majority of GOP voters sharing this view, new polls show.

Amid what some have described as a “GOP civil war” centered on the future of the Republican Party and its relationship with former President Donald Trump, there appears to be significant frustration among the party’s voters. While a number of prominent Republicans want the party to kick Trump and his influence in the future, a major faction of the party and many GOP lawmakers believe the former president’s move is their path to the end. success.

A Gallup poll from Jan.21 to Feb.2, released on Monday, showed 63% of Republicans believe a new third is needed. That’s a significant jump from the previous high of 54% recorded by Gallup in December 2018.

Meanwhile, a plurality (40%) of Republicans and Independents who lean Republican want the GOP to become more conservative. About a third (34%) want Republican Party policy to stay roughly the same, and about a quarter (24%) want the party’s views to become more moderate.

A significant majority of Republicans also believe Trump should remain the leader of the GOP. While 68% of Republican voters want the former president to continue to be the dominant force within their political party, only 31% are looking for a new leader.

Gallup’s poll aligns somewhat with another recent survey conducted by CBS News / YouGov. This previous poll, released last Tuesday, showed that 70% of Republicans would join or consider joining a new party if Trump formed one. This included a third (33 percent) who said “yes” they would definitely join the new party and 37 percent who said “maybe”. Only 30% of Republicans said they would not join a Trump-centric political party.

The pro-Trump and “Never Trump” factions of the GOP have spoken of forming a new third party. Whether these talks materialize into a viable political movement remains to be seen, but recent polls and actions by Republican lawmakers show that Trump’s faction of the GOP maintains a significant majority.

Although the Senate impeachment trial vote to convict Trump for contributing to inciting the U.S. Capitol Riot on Jan.6 was the most bipartisan in U.S. history, the vast majority of Republican senators voted for acquit Trump. Only seven Republicans voted alongside the 50-member Senate Democratic Caucus, making the final vote 57 to 43. However, that fell 10 votes below the constitutional two-thirds majority (67 senators) required for the vote. conviction.

After the vote, Trump issued a statement dismissing the trial as a “witch hunt” and hinting at future political ambitions. Several associates of the former president have publicly stated that he could run for president again in 2024.

“Our historic, patriotic and magnificent movement for Make America Great Again is only just beginning. In the months to come, I have a lot to share with you, and I look forward to continuing our incredible journey together to achieve American greatness for all of our people, ”Trump said in Saturday’s statement.

“We have so much work ahead of us, and soon we will emerge with a vision for a bright, radiant and limitless American future,” he added.