- A GOP congressman is astonished over Trump's polling numbers despite his four criminal cases.
- "I'd be down to 1%, my wife would change the locks on the doors," said Rep. Tim Burchett.
A Republican congressman marveled over the fact that, despite being indicted four times, President Donald Trump's primary polling numbers remain so high.
Less than 24 hours after Trump surrendered himself to Fulton County prosecutors and had his mugshot taken in after his Georgia grand jury indictment, Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee took the opportunity to highlight how strong Trump's polling numbers are.
"If they had me in a mugshot, my numbers, I'd be down to 1%, my wife would change the locks on the doors," Burchett said. "You know, but Donald Trump? It's a mystery, but his numbers still rise."
Burchett added he thinks voters are "ticked off" by the multiple law enforcement investigations into Trump and the perception of political motivations from the prosecutors themselves.
According to an average of national GOP primary polls deemed "major" by FiveThirtyEight, Trump's averaging 51.6% support, or 36.8 percentage points ahead of the presidential candidate in second place, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Taking a look at Trump's average support throughout 2023, the average support in national polls for Trump's candidacy increased from about 43% at the start of the year to 51.6% despite the four indictments levied against him.
Trump's polling is so high among Republican voters that he bowed out from the first GOP presidential debate on Wednesday. Weeks before the debate, he said he would watch to see who he wants as his potential running mate.
"Let them debate so I can see who I MIGHT consider for Vice President!" Trump wrote on his social media website, Truth Social.
At the debate, the slate of candidates was asked whether or not they'd support the embattled former president if he wins the nomination but simultaneously gets convicted of any of the 91 felonies prosecutors allege he's committed.
Only two of the eight candidates onstage said they wouldn't back Trump in that event: Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
Hutchinson added he thinks Trump is "morally disqualified from being president" again, while Christie said the former president's conduct had to stop being normalized.