Despite facing legal challenges in Fulton County, former President Donald Trump continues to dominate the Republican field in Georgia, as per a recent poll by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC).
In the survey, 57% of likely Republican voters expressed their support for Trump, while his closest rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, managed to garner only 15%.
Other contenders failed to break past single digits, leaving 14% of the respondents undecided.
Mark Beteag, a resident of Gwinnett County, articulated his stance, saying, “He did a good job while he was in, and I will vote for him again. I’d like to get back to where Trump was before he left office. I think he was on the right track for the country.”
Interestingly, the poll revealed that Trump maintained a significant lead across various demographic categories, from age and education to economic standing.
In a hypothetical direct contest against Gov. DeSantis, the former president would have a staggering 33-point advantage.
Furthermore, half of Georgia Republicans perceive Trump as the definitive candidate to challenge President Joe Biden in the upcoming election.
The poll was conducted after the indictment of Trump and 18 associates by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
The survey covered 807 likely GOP voters from Aug 16 to 23, with a margin of error standing at 3.4 percentage points.
However, the Republican base is split over the seriousness of the charges against Trump.
Nearly half view the charges with gravity, but 44% dismiss them as not serious.
Opinions are equally strong about Trump’s alleged role in the U.S. Capitol attack on Jan 6, 2021, with 71% having already made up their minds about his guilt or innocence.
Still, an overwhelming majority (84%) believe that political motivations played a significant role in Trump’s indictment.
Misty White, a Trump supporter from Rome, opined, “The indictments are only making Trump’s case stronger. People are sick of all this. Did he do wrong? Probably. But at the end of the day, we’re concerned with our own pocketbooks, our security as a nation.”
On the issue of voting for a candidate convicted of a felony, the Republican base again appears divided.
While 37% would refuse to vote for such a candidate, 41% indicated they would.
Mike Tucker, who runs a facility maintenance firm in Tift County, commented, “I think Trump’s legal problems are politically motivated and politically driven. They did it just to stop him. But I think it could damage him in the end,” AJC notes.
Trump’s influence remains palpable, with certain supporters holding reservations about Republicans not wholly aligned with Trump.
