The Republicans in the audience laughed when Donald Trump mocked a woman who accused him of rape. They cheered when he defended his role during the Jan. 6 attack. And they applauded again after he said he was “honored” to “terminate Roe v. Wade.”
FILE - Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally, April 27, 2023, in Manchester, N.H. Trump’s defiant performance at the CNN town hall may ultimately hurt his standing with key groups of voters in next fall's general election. But he also demonstrated his extraordinary grip on the voters who will decide the GOP’s looming 2024 nomination fight.
“GOP voters want what Trump gave them last night — the lies, the personal attacks... and the confrontation with the media,” said Sarah Longwell, founder of the anti-Trump Republican Accountability Project. “I think it was an important wakeup call that Trump is still the likeliest GOP nominee. It’s scary, but important we face it and do everything we can to keep him from becoming president again.
Former Vice President Mike Pence, who is preparing to challenge Trump in the 2024 primary with a focus on evangelical voters, suggested in an NBC interview that any focus on the sexual abuse verdict was a distraction from more important issues like the economy and public safety. In the wake of the GOP’s disappointing 2022 midterm performance, party leaders openly opined that Trump and his brand of politics have become toxic among the broader electorate, especially women, independents and college-educated suburban voters.
In a memo shortly before the CNN town hall, DeSantis’ super PAC released a memo warning that a Trump nomination would be “a disaster” for the Republican Party at the ballot box.
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