Among Republican primary voters, 80 percent say that Donald Trump should still be allowed to hold the presidency even if he is convicted in the classified documents case.
A poll from CBS News-YouGov found that only 20 percent of prospective Republican voters believe that Trump should not be allowed to serve as president if he is convicted on any of the 37 charges brought against him. Trump, who is currently campaigning for presidency in 2024, faces charges of obstruction of justice, destruction or falsification of records, and conspiracy.
An overwhelming 76 percent said that they considered the charges to be "politically motivated," with only 12 percent saying that Trump's possession of the documents constituted a national security risk. Another 12 percent said it was both.
In a scenario where Trump had held onto the documents for an extended period of time, only 38 percent of GOP voters expressed concern over the potential national security risk, as opposed to 80 percent of Democrats and Independents.
61 percent of respondents said the indictment “won’t change” their views on Trump. Only 7 percent said that the charges change their views “for the worse," with 14 percent saying it has changed them "for the better."
However, the report notes that so-called "culture war" issues are not the primary focus of Republican voters approaching the 2024 general election. 90 percent want their party's nominee to focus on lowering inflation, and 78 percent seek one who will prioritize lower taxes. Only 26 percent said they were focused on limiting transgender rights, with just 29 percent seeking a candidate proposing a national abortion ban.
"At this stage of the race, it's always important to consider what the electorate wants even more than any horse race," the report notes. "And on that front, despite the rhetoric from the campaign, GOP voters prioritize economics over so-called culture war issues."
Because of this, most GOP voters widely support Trump over any other Republican candidate, remaining the frontrunner of the party. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is the next closest candidate at nearly one third of of Trump's support — 23 percent and 61 percent, respectively.
"Republican primary voters say they're far more concerned that Donald Trump's indictment is politically motivated than his alleged conduct being a national security risk — and there's no evidence it's hurt his status as the clear front-runner for the 2024 nomination, at least not yet," the report states. "He remains well ahead of rivals in both consideration and vote choice."
