Almost four in five Republicans want Trump to run again in 2024, poll shows

More than 50 per cent of Americans think Trump has been undermining democracy since 2020 polls

Donald Trump still holds strong support in America as almost four in five Republicans have said they want him back as the US president.

Some 78 per cent Republicans polled think Mr Trump should run for presidency again in 2024, revealed a survey released by Quinnipiac University on Tuesday.

His backing only seems to be growing as the new poll marked a 12 per cent increase since May, when 66 per cent Republicans voted to see Mr Trump as president again. Compared to 30 per cent in May, only 16 per cent of Republicans now feel that Mr Trump should not run again.

However, a larger majority of Democrats — 94 per cent — and 58 per cent independents said Mr Trump should not run for presidency for a second time.

More than 50 per cent of Americans think Mr Trump has been undermining democracy since the 2020 presidential election, while 39 per cent think he has been protecting it. But there were clear partisan divides — 85 per cent Republicans thought he has been protecting democracy, while 94 per cent Democrats and 48 per cent independents said he has been undermining it.

“While a majority of Americans say ‘been there, done that’ about Trump, and half feel he has damaged the underpinnings of democracy, support for the former president within the GOP has grown,” noted Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy.

The survey comes amid Mr Trump’s increasingly strong hints that he is keen on launching his 2024 presidential campaign.

The former president has been travelling more frequently to hold rallies and meetings, including to swing states such as Iowa, where he held a large rally on 9 October and teased a potential campaign slogan: “make America great again, again.” He also gave out a slew of endorsements in key Senate and House races.

His role in the party has been debated by Republicans since the 6 January insurrection on Capitol Hill, allegedly following his unsubstantiated claims that the 2020 election was “stolen” from him.

Senator Bill Cassidy, a Republican who represents Louisiana, said on Monday that Mr Trump could potentially run for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination and lose. Mr Trump lashed out at him in response.

But that has not deterred Republicans from supporting Mr Trump, as 56 per cent think he is not at fault for the storming at the Capitol, while 81 per cent Democrats said he held “a lot” of responsibility for it.

The poll by Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,342 adults and 1,168 registered voters between 15 and 18 October.