Trump’s waning influence suggests straw poll at Mackinac GOP conference in Michigan

A new straw poll found that former President Donald Trump’s influence has waned among Republicans in Michigan.

The straw ballot, which is an unofficial poll sponsored by Detroit News, interviewed approximately 740 Republicans who attended the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference on Mackinac Island, Michigan, Friday and Saturday.

About 1,300 people attended the conference and received a secure link to vote in the straw poll. When asked if they would support the former president, more respondents said they voted for other potential candidates than for Trump.

Trump’s endorsements have become less significant among Michigan Republicans, according to the survey, as 44% of those polled said it wouldn’t be a factor in whether they support a candidate. Additionally, 11% said they were less likely to vote for a candidate backed by Trump.

Meanwhile, 60% of those polled said they would still vote for a Republican even if the candidate disagreed with Trump’s claim that the 2020 presidential election was fraudulent.

According to Detroit News, some Republicans, more conservative and likely to support Trump, did not attend the weekend conference.

The former president received 47.5% of the support, garnering more support than Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who came in second with 25% of the vote, according to the newspaper.

Speakers at the event called on voters to unite ahead of the 2022 election. Former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos urged Republicans to focus on principles.

“I’m afraid the principles have been overtaken by figures today,” DeVos said. “Politics now are so often about people, not policies that have a direct impact on people’s lives.”

Trump’s popularity among Republicans and Republican-leaning voters has waned over the last period, according to recent polls. According to a September Echelon Insights poll, only 30% of Republicans said they wanted Trump to run unopposed in the 2024 GOP presidential primary in case he does, which he has already hinted at.

Meanwhile, 39% of Republicans prefer Trump to run with other candidates and 22% have said they prefer if he does not run at all.

A Harvard CAPS-Harris poll released Monday found that more than half of Republican voters would choose Trump for 2024.

“While defeated candidates rarely return, Trump has a solid lead in the Republican primary, especially among the most dedicated Republicans,” said Mark Penn, co-director of the Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll survey.

The Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll also showed DeSantis to be the third choice with only 9% support, despite its popularity among the Republican Party due in part to its fight against the COVID mask and vaccine mandates.