Skip to content

40% of Republicans support Trump corruption

Yesterday's New York Times poll got some attention for showing that even Democrats are pretty skeptical of puberty blockers for trans kids and trans women competing in women's sports. But this is really the most interesting part of the poll:

Pretty much everyone is convinced that Donald Trump will use presidential power to go after his political opponents, though Democrats are more convinced.

But check out the follow-up question: 40% of Republicans think this is fine. Is this just how Republicans roll? Is it revenge because they think Biden sicced prosecutors on Trump? Do they not really understand that this is wrong?

I suppose the good news is that at least 40% is still a minority. But it's close.

76 thoughts on “40% of Republicans support Trump corruption

  1. megarajusticemachine

    But check out the follow-up question: 40% of Republicans think this is fine. Is this just how Republicans roll?

    Well, yes? Where have you been, Kevin?

    1. FrankM

      Also, large segments of them think it's okay to resort to violence if their candidate loses. Etc. etc. This is how fascists win elections.

      1. Josef

        That's because the Dems cheated in 2020. They know this to be absolutely true because a pathological liar told them so. So it's all ok!

    2. Austin

      Kevin hasn’t yet pruned his friendship circle to exclude the crazy and the immoral. He still seems to believe there are Decent Republicans out there.

    3. cmayo

      Living in a fantasy land where Republicans still care about democracy and rule of law, as opposed to authoritarianism, kleptocracy, and pwning the libs.

    4. Marlowe

      La-La Land? The Pollyanna Zone? Drum often (very, very often) appears to be the most naive man on the planet, at least for an educated, clearly smart guy who seriously follows politics.

    5. LactatingAlgore

      kev's been at lunch at panera with his sensible republican friend, who, yes, believes all this, but can articulate his support for it with williamfbuckleyan precision & panache.

  2. QuakerInBasement

    "Do they not really understand that this is wrong?"

    My guess: Mostly no, they don't. I think there are two significant groups, with overlap:
    1) As you describe, "Biden did it. Time for payback!"
    2) Folks who have bought the Trump/Fox News/QAnon/Whatever story that people opposed to Trump are actually dangerous or terrorists or communists or fascists or just generally "enemies of America." Who wouldn't want their president to go after them?

    The point is that the time when governance by Democrats becomes invalid to a frighteningly large segment of the population is no longer at some point in the future. I think it has arrived.

    1. Austin

      The people deserve to get what they voted for, good and hard. The fact that they were deluded when they voted is immaterial. People need to learn that Voting Matters and this is as good of a time as any.

  3. MF

    Turn about is fair play.

    Does anyone really still believe that the multitude of Trump prosecutions were not politically motivated?

    Or that J6 prosecutions are being handled like those of left wing protesters who misbehaved in the Capitol?

    1. Art Eclectic

      Does anyone believe that the attempts at the Clintons were not politically motivated? The Felon is guilty and was found so by a jury of his peers, in multiple cases.

      1. MF

        The Clintons were never prosecuted.

        The failure to do so, especially for Bill Clinton's perjury, was obviously politically motivated.

        In addition, there was obvious dirt in the Clinton White House. Remember how the Rose Law Firm billing records magically appeared in the First Family's living quarters? https://www.nytimes.com/1996/01/06/us/elusive-papers-of-law-firm-are-found-at-white-house.html

        Mr. Schuelke said Mrs. Huber did not know who placed the records in the storage area or how long the material might have been there. "It could have been there for months," he said. "She has no idea how long it was there."

        And, no, they never found out who put the records there... but I am sure the full story was totally innoccuous. Probably they walked in there on their own.

        1. TheMelancholyDonkey

          The failure to do so, especially for Bill Clinton's perjury, was obviously politically motivated.

          Bill Clinton didn't commit perjury. Perjury is more than just lying under oath. It has to be a lie that is material to the case one is being deposed for.

          The judge eventually ruled that Clinton's relationship with Monica Lewinsky was immaterial to Paula Jones's lawsuit. At that point, Clinton's prevarication became immaterial to the case. So, it wasn't perjury.

          Clinton lied under oath. While that isn't perjury, it is a violation of an attorney's obligations. So he was disbarred, which was the appropriate punishment.

        2. kennethalmquist

          Claiming that something is “obviously” true is not a substitute for evidence.

          Bill Barr said that it was “far more important” for the trial of Michael Sussman to present a narrative supported by Donald Trump than to obtain a conviction. He also predicted that “the Danchenko prosecution is going to further amplify these themes.” Barr’s statements were made in a Fox News interview on June 1, 2022 7:23 PM EDT, so it might not reflect what Barr told Durham back when Durham was regularly consulting with Barr, but it is at least some evidence that the Sussman and Danchenko prosecutions were politically motivated.

          In contrast, you offer no evidence whatsoever that the Trump prosecutions were politically motivated. With regard to the federal prosecutions, Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel, and chose one from the opposite political party. If that doesn’t satisfy you that the charges brought by Jack Smith were not politically motivated, I can’t imagine what would.

    2. bbleh

      This would be hilarious as sarcasm.

      Trump has been found guilty or liable EVERY SINGLE TIME he has been in front of a jury. Every. Single. Time.

      And is there anyone alive who isn't a total reality-denying cultist -- like a vaccines-are-no-good-use-horse-dewormer cultist -- who doesn't think he GROSSLY mishandled sensitive national defense information, including some at the highest levels of classification?

      About the only political motivation in handling the Trump cases is that it has been FAR too gentle and too considerate of executive power. If he had been treated like other sexual assaulters and defamers and business fraudsters and people who mishandled NDI, he would have been jailed years ago.

      And PLEASE do go on about all those "left-wing protesters at the Capitol." Or are we peddling the fiction that the violent mob carrying TRUMP flags whose actions ultimately resulted in the deaths of five officers and injury to many more were actually "left-wing"?

      It is to laugh ...

        1. Solar

          Did any of them violently storm the Capitol and broke in with the intent to murder the VP or members of Congress, or keep in power a candidate who lost an election?

    3. tigersharktoo

      Please tell when "left wing protestors" broke through multiple police lines, assaulted police officers and then broke into the Capitol Building of the United States of America.

      That incident is not in my History Book.

    4. iamr4man

      Does anyone think Trump was innocent? That he didn’t do the things he was accused of? Calling it “turn about is fair play” is just absurd.

    5. lawnorder

      The answer to both your questions is yes. The Trump prosecutions were not politically motivated, and the J6 prosecutions have been handled like those of left wing protesters who misbehaved at the Capitol, taking into account that there has been no left wing misbehavior of anywhere the magnitude and severity of the J6 insurrection.

    6. jv

      "Does anyone really still believe that the multitude of Trump prosecutions were not politically motivated?"

      The Onion is dead. Long live The Onion!

  4. Art Eclectic

    I propose that folks do a media blackout tomorrow. The media fed on bad news to gain advertiser clicks, eff them. Click on nothing. Walk away from the internet entirely.

    1. Austin

      I planned my return to DC from Hawaii so that I will be unable to see anything after noon eastern time until I land after 10pm. Fuck inauguration. It’s still legal (for now) to not have Dear Leader on our screens.

  5. kenalovell

    Lots of MAGA folk online are quite open about favoring a corrupt police state bent on retribution. Comments like this are very popular:

    One of the first things Trump has to do is hire 500 or more permanent U.S. Federal Agents who have authority to detain and arrest "ANY" state or local police officers, including "ANY" state or local politicians if necessary.

    Dissent is met with sneers that "Democrats left us no choice".

    1. Austin

      They deserve to get what they voted for, good and hard. When we all live in the authoritarian hellscape, they can take pleasure at knowing they voted themselves into it.

  6. golack

    Convince your base the all government expenditures are illegitimate.
    Convince your base that "those" people are being given "your" money.
    Convince your base that you'll get their money back and put it to good use!!! And make a donation now to help us make that happen!!!

  7. akapneogy

    " 40% of Republicans think this is fine. Is this just how Republicans roll? "

    Emphatically yes! We don't want to face the fact that a majority of citizens are smitten with Trump's law breaking and generally odious bahavior. But it has been staring us in the face all through the Trump years. Of course they are all going to claim "Not me!' once, and if, sanity returns.

    1. Austin

      It’s the same way that Nazis got into power through democratic means - German voters actually voted for them directly or voted for other parties that affiliated with them - but after WWII, you couldn’t find a single German willing to say “I voted for the Nazis.” Immaculate election.

      1. Marlowe

        To be accurate, the Nazis were not exactly voted into power--and their share of the vote actually declined somewhat in 1932 in the last free German election until after WWII. However, it is accurate that they did seize power democratically, or at least under the trappings of democracy; Hitler was legally appointed Chancellor (largely with the support of the traditional German right wing who believed he could be used and controlled--sounds familiar, nicht wahr?) and soon thereafter stage managed or took advantage of the Reichstag Fire (which is still disputed) to--democratically--pass the Enabling Act that strangled the Weimar Republic for good.

  8. James B. Shearer

    "But check out the follow-up question: ..."

    That was question 31 in the linked survey. It was not a follow-up question as the other question was question 37.

  9. rick_jones

    Pretty much everyone is convinced that Donald Trump will use presidential power to go after his political opponents, though Democrats are more convinced.

    Is that corruption per se, or abuse of office/power?

    1. Anandakos

      Going after his political opponents is, as you imply by asking the question the way you did, indeed "abuse of office/power". Spot on correction.

      However every other action he will take will be corruption. He doesn't have an ideological bone -- in his body, at least, not in the modern sense of the word. His only "value" is "Does it make me more money?"

      Thinking about a problem in search of a solution is for chumps.

  10. Austin

    Republicans are the worst people you will ever meet. None of them are worth keeping in social circle. Kevin really should start pruning his friend group.

  11. stellabarbone

    Hillary Clinton was investigated for her email by Loretta Lynch, then again by Jeff Session's DoJ, and a third time by Bob Barr's DoJ. The State Department under Rex Tillerson and the State Department under Mike Pompeo pursued fourth and fifth investigations. Additionally, the were chasing after Hunter Biden in the hope of finding something leading to his father. Republicans saw nothing wrong with any of that, so I can’t see why they would object to investigations anyone else who criticized the Big Orange

    1. James B. Shearer

      "There are 8% among the Democrats who think that Trump's probable abuse of power is OK?!?"

      Well according to the poll 2% of Democrats voted for Trump, 3% didn't know who they voted for and 40% didn't vote at all.

  12. Leo1008

    File this under most obvious news of the year:

    “Yesterday's New York Times poll got some attention for showing that even Democrats are pretty skeptical of puberty blockers for trans kids and trans women competing in women's sports.”

    The only way that anyone could be surprised at these findings is if they carefully curate their news sources in such a way as to insure that they exist in an isolated echo chamber that would put the Fortress of Solitude to shame.

    The real kicker is this: “even Democrats.” You don’t say. Hello, Democrat here. Did Kevin actually think we supported the epic lunacy and narrow-minded bullying of the trans cult? Most of us still believe that biological sex is in fact real, that women’s rights should be defended from invasion by biological males, and that there is absolutely nothing whatsoever wrong in promoting such a thing as gay rights (as opposed to whatever the hell lgbtqia2s rights are supposed to be).

    Out here in the real world, Andrew Doyle sums up our current situation in an article that’s actually based on reality: “The era of men in women’s sports will soon be over.” From that article:

    “Of all the absurdities of the culture war, perhaps the most egregious is the normalisation of the idea that men should be able to identify their way into women’s sports. We are living through a period of mania, so we cannot clearly see how this will look to future generations. But I have little doubt that all those photographs of hulking men towering over women on winners’ podiums will be the memes of the future. ‘Can you believe they let this happen?’ they’ll say, scratching their AI-enhanced cyborg heads.”

    The fact that far too many high-profile Dems failed to speak out against this trans faction of ideological extremists is perhaps the greatest rupture between me and the Dem party in my lifetime. I still remain a registered Dem. But I really need the party to regain its sanity. Obviously, a lot of other voters feel the same way. That’s how we wound up with Trump!

      1. jdubs

        There is a long history of politically-left identifying people who abandoned the party when they realized their bigotry was no longer accepted by the mainstream.

        Poor, angry bigots always throw the same fit. How dare you abandon me and my bigotry! You not being a bigot like me will be the downfall of all of us!
        Feel bad for these guys. Sad, angry lives.

        1. Atticus

          That’s exactly the problem. The fact that you consider people who don’t think boys should be allowed to play on girls sports teams to be bigots. It’s comical and sad and examplifies the lunacy of the far left that led to Trump being elected.

          1. jdubs

            And the bigots always insist that their new form of bigotry isn't actually bigotry because the people they despise are actually despicable and undeserving!

            It's not bigotry if you believe they are really beneath you!

            Lol, poor guy. Stale, angry, shallow retread of bigots gone by.

          2. Leo1008

            @Atticus:

            Appreciate the comment: “That’s exactly the problem. The fact that you consider people who don’t think boys should be allowed to play on girls sports teams to be bigots.”

            But an accusation of “bigotry” is more or less the default response that Leftists hurl at any dissent. Whether you’re critiquing the excesses of DEI, the reductive nature of modern “anti-racism,” or the absurd extremism of the trans movement, Leftists will just dismiss any and all such feedback as bigotry.

            It’s very much like dealing with fundamentalists, and “bigotry” appears to be euphemistic language for what they consider to be heresy. And I’d go so far as to say that the fundamentalist Left now has a stronger hold on the Dem party than the Religious Right ever held over the Republican Party.

            There are, of course, some Liberal Dems who speak out. John McWhorter published a book 4-5 years ago on the topic of Woke Racism, and he made it clear even then that the only way for Liberals to critique the Left is for the Liberals to accept the fact that they will be labeled as “racists” and “bigots” by Leftists. It’s simply unavoidable.

            The Dem party is the grip of a hostile takeover by an extremist factions of secular ideologues who condemn any dissent as inherently evil. So the only way to express any such dissent is by putting up with a lot of narrow minded abuse from people who should have been allies but instead wound up in an utterly vile and dogmatic cult.

            1. Five Parrots in a Shoe

              "Whether you’re critiquing the excesses of DEI, the reductive nature of modern “anti-racism,” or the absurd extremism of the trans movement."

              Three assumptions being treated as facts. And you accuse your opponents of having blinkers.

              I'll give you credit for at least ceasing to claim to be a liberal. You are quite clearly the guy standing athwart history shouting STOP.

            2. lawnorder

              The conclusion that you're not a Democrat is based on more than one post. Your attitude toward trans people is just one data point.

  13. Ogemaniac

    Prominent Republicans indicted by the Biden DoJ:

    Trump x 2
    Santos

    Prominent Democrats indicted by the Biden DoJ:

    Hunter Biden
    Eric Adam
    Menendez and his wife
    Cuellar and his wife

    Feel free to add to the list if you think of any others

  14. name99

    Time for worrying about that was BEFORE you denied that Debanking existed, then when shown evidence that it did exist, you asserted that it was a good thing and the targets deserved it...

    The history of US politics since about the 1970s has been an endless cycle of one side doing something outrageous (for "noble reasons" of course) then being amazed and upset that the other side adopts the same tactic.
    I think we're all looking forward to seeing what Constitutional Amendments Trump declares over the next four years. The obvious one to hit is the 22nd Amendment, but the TRUE joy would be Trump Declaring the validity of the Corwin Amendment (go look it up)...

Comments are closed.