Nearly one in five Republicans say that if Donald Trump loses the 2024 election, he should declare the results invalid and do whatever it takes to assume office, according to a new national survey.
Why it matters: The growing number of Republicans willing to shun democratic norms — and possibly embrace violence — comes as Trump continues to falsely claim the 2020 election was stolen from him and is saying the 2024 election is already rigged.
- The survey from the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) and the Brookings Institution is the latest sign of how Trump’s grievances and conspiracy theories have reshaped his party — and whipped up its most disaffected, far-right elements….
- While 19% of Republicans say Trump should reject the election results if he loses, 12% of Democrats say Kamala Harris should do the same if she loses.
- Meanwhile, nearly 3 in 10 Republicans believe that true American patriots may have to resort to violence to save the country, compared with 16% of independents and 8% of Democrats.
- What they’re saying: “I’ve been doing this for 20 years, and these answers … are keeping me up at night,” Robert P. Jones, president and founder of PRRI, tells Axios.