Trump's Republican support appears to soften post-indictment: Poll

WASHINGTON: A new poll has revealed that Republican support for former US President Donald Trump appears to have softened after he was indicted with 37 counts in connection with the mishandling of classified documents case.

The CNN poll published on Tuesday revealed that Americans approve of Trump's indictment, even as 71 per cent say politics played a role in that charging decision.

Though Trump continues to lead the Republican field by a wide margin in the race for the party's nomination for President, the poll suggested that his support has declined, as have positive views of him among Republican and Republican-leaning voters.

Nearly a quarter now say they would not consider backing his candidacy under any circumstances.

The survey also found that the Republican-aligned voters not currently backing his 2024 bid have different views on his indictment and behavior than those in his corner.

Overall, 47 per cent of Republicans and Republican-leaning registered voters say Trump is their first choice for the party's nomination for president, down from 53 per cent in a May CNN poll.

Support for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis held steady at 26 per cent in the latest poll, with former Vice President Mike Pence at 9 per cent, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley at 5 per cent, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott at 4 per cent, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie at 3 per cent and the remaining candidates at 1 per cent or less.

In addition to the decline in support for Trump's candidacy, his favourability rating among Republican-aligned voters has also dipped, from 77 per cent in May to 67 per cent now, while the share who say they would not support him for the nomination under any circumstances has climbed, from 16 per cent in May to 23 per cent now.

The CNN poll was completed after Trump's arraignment in federal court last week, and Republican and Republican-leaning voters participating in the poll were asked questions about the 2024 presidential race before any mention of the charges facing Trump.

A 54 per cent majority of Republican and Republican-leaning voters say that Trump's conduct doesn't matter much to them as they consider his candidacy, because a President's effectiveness matters more.

Meanwhile, only 26 per cent of Republican and Republican-leaning voters say that Trump should end his campaign in light of the federal charges he now faces, with an additional 16 per cent saying he should end his campaign if he is convicted of federal crimes.