A new survey from USA Today/Suffolk University shows that by a 2-1 margin, GOP and GOP-leaning voters say they like President Trump's policies, but they want a different standard bearer to carry them out. Only 31% of those surveyed say they want Trump to run for reelection, while 61% prefer some other Republican nominee.
"The Republican voters don't want to go back to Bush/Romney/McCain Republicanism; they want Trump Republicanism," submits Gary Bauer, chairman of the Campaign for Working Families (CWF). "Having said that, I'm skeptical when the poll says that by a wide margin, Republicans are picking somebody other than Donald Trump. I just think we're going to have to wait and see."
He does concede, however, that Trump has "gotten into controversy he didn't have to get into" in recent months, specifically noting "the unfortunate dinner at Mar-A-Lago where he was with some pretty seamy people."
"I think he should make it clear he's not going to hang around with those folks again," Bauer suggests. "I think he was in one case deceived about who he was having dinner with."
Regardless, the CWF chairman reiterates that 2024 is a long time from now.
"A lot of primaries and other things [are] coming up, but I do think that [President Trump's] standing has suffered in recent months," says Bauer.
