According to a recent CBS News poll, Donald Trump's support among national Republican primary voters has reached its highest level to date. Despite his legal issues, Trump's standing with primary voters remains strong, and his controversial statements continue to resonate with many GOP and "MAGA" voters. Additionally, Republican voters believe that Trump is their best chance to defeat President Biden in the upcoming election, even though Nikki Haley leads Mr. Biden by a wider margin in a general election match-up. While some rivals argue that Trump's legal issues may harm his chances in the general election, Republican voters still view him as their top choice to beat Mr. Biden. Although Haley's perceived electability is growing, she falls far behind Trump in terms of support.

Trump's statements and MAGA ideas do indeed resonate with the wider GOP electorate. Republican voters are looking for a candidate who promises tax cuts and challenges woke ideas, both of which have been consistent calls within the party. Despite criticism from Trump's political opponents, many of his recent ideas and statements have garnered significant support. For instance, when Trump referred to immigrants entering the U.S. illegally as "poisoning the blood of the country," eight in 10 Republican primary voters agreed with him, including a majority of both MAGA and non-MAGA voters. However, there are other ideas that divide Republican primary voters along MAGA/non-MAGA lines. Despite these differences, most Republican primary voters continue to back Trump for the nomination, regardless of their stance on specific issues.

In terms of potential change, Trump's support remains solid and larger than any other GOP candidate. The majority of Trump's supporters claim that they will not change their minds, and he maintains a strong base of voters who solely support him. Trump's challengers are hoping that performances in individual states, such as Iowa and New Hampshire, may alter this dynamic, although most national voters claim that these results will not factor into their decision-making. Convincing Trump supporters to change their minds appears to be a difficult task at this stage. Even those who are considering other candidates express similar preferences to Trump supporters regarding key issues like the economy and the border. They also believe that Trump has the best chance of defeating Mr. Biden. However, Republican primary voters express a desire to hear more about the economy from their candidates, as they feel this topic has not been adequately addressed.

The CBS News/YouGov survey, conducted from January 10-12, 2024, included a nationally representative sample of 2,870 U.S. adult residents, with 786 likely Republican primary voters. The sample was weighted based on gender, age, race, education, and past vote, and the margin of error is ±2.5 points for the overall sample and ±4.7 points for likely Republican primary voters