As the number of indictments and felony charges against former President Donald Trump piles up, there’s growing chatter that this could be the chink in the armor that sees Trump’s grip on the GOP slipping. But will the GOP base pay enough attention for it to matter?
According to a fresh survey from Fairleigh Dickinson University, Republicans who actively follow the news are increasingly viewing these indictments against Trump as genuine concerns. In fact, if you remind them of Trump’s legal woes, their openness to consider another GOP candidate jumps by 11%. Yes, you read that right – Trump might be Teflon, but these charges might just be the solvent that makes him a tad less non-stick.
Yet, despite this wave of lawsuits and charges, Trump still leads the GOP primary pack, even amongst those clued-up Republicans. But as the details of Trump’s numerous legal challenges become more public, could we see a shift? Only time will tell.
The cherry on top? A new indictment from a Georgia grand jury alleges Trump and his comrades tried to pull a fast one on the electorate by pressuring election officials and fudging the 2020 results. And given the state’s laws, a Georgia trial could be a televised event – an unedited, raw look at one of the darkest chapters of Trump’s post-presidential saga.
There are already calls from groups such as Black Voters Matter to ensure the trial is broadcasted. They argue that to pierce Trump’s chaos-driven disinformation campaign, voters need to see the steady grind of the legal process for themselves. Plus, with the trial possibly shedding light on how Trump’s baseless fraud claims wreaked havoc on innocent lives – like the ordeal faced by Ruby Freeman, a Georgian poll worker – it might just prove too damning to ignore.
Trump’s legal team might try to dodge the spotlight by moving the case from state to federal jurisdiction. But many, like Norm Eisen of the Brookings Institution, view this as a mere tactic to escape the courtroom cameras. After all, a televised trial offers millions the chance to judge for themselves without the interference of spin.
But Trump isn’t just up against the law. In the political arena, fellow Republicans, even those wary of his volatile social media persona, are starting to throw some punches. The latest poll numbers reveal a subtle shift – while Trump remains the frontrunner, there’s a surge in the “open-to-someone-else” camp when reminded of his indictments.
Svante Myrick of People For the American Way puts it bluntly, questioning why, in the face of evidence and multiple indictments, some Republicans continue supporting Trump. He suggests the televised trial could be the way forward, adding, “It’s not just four prosecutors. It’s grand juries – dozens of American citizens who reviewed the evidence and indicted him – what do they know that you as a voter don’t?”
As the 2024 elections draw nearer and Trump’s legal troubles continue to unravel, the Republican Party finds itself at a crossroads. Whether this leads to a fracture or reinforcement of Trump’s hold, the Georgia trial might just be the watershed moment that shapes the future of the GOP.
