Young Republicans Stand By Trump: Poll
Trump supporters at Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC to protest the election results, on Nov. 14.(EVELYN HOCKSTEIN/FOR THE WASHINGTON POST VIA GETTY IMAGES)
Only one-quarter of young Republicans believe that President Joe Biden won the 2020 election fairly, according to the most recent Harvard Kennedy School's Institute of Politics poll among young voters – the latest survey to underscore the deep and enduring impact of former President Donald Trump's claims that the election was stolen from him almost 100 days into the Biden administration.
While 68% of young people 18-29 years old believe Biden won the election fairly, only 26% of young Republicans do.
Among young Republicans, 20% believe that Trump won the 2020 presidential election instead – a number that jumps to 26% among those who do not attend college and do not have a degree. Moreover, 35% of young Republicans residing in rural parts of the country believe Trump won in November compared to 11% of the same demographic that believes Biden won fairly.
In addition, one-third of young Republicans say that Trump was fully or partially responsible for inciting the riot and storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 compared to 88% of Democrats and 64% of independents who say the same.
The findings mirror an Ipsos/Reuters poll from earlier this month that found that 6 in 10 Republicans – not just young Republicans – believe Trump's claim that November's presidential election "was stolen" due to widespread voter fraud, and 6 in 10 Republicans also think he should run again in 2024. That poll also found that roughly half of Republicans believe the insurrection was instead a non-violent protest or the work of left-wing activists trying to make Trump look bad.
The findings speak to the impact of the former president's ongoing – and still near-daily – claims that the 2020 election was rigged and underscores how difficult it would be for the Republican Party to untangle itself from him. With Trump's war chest currently larger than the Republican National Committee's and the former president already threatening to ruin the political careers of Republicans who have crossed him, it appears unlikely that GOP leaders would conclude that's the direction they want to go anyway.
Indeed, among young Republicans, 56% agreed with the statement, "I want Donald Trump to play a key role in the future of Republican politics," while 22% disagreed, and 21% were neutral. Meanwhile, 61% of those who voted for Trump in the 2020 election indicated their desire for him to remain active in GOP politics.
The poll also showed that if young Republicans "had to choose," 42% consider themselves supporters of the Republican party, and not Trump himself, compared to 25% who indicated they are Trump supporters first. A quarter said they support both.
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