Most Republicans and right-leaning independents say they want former President Donald Trump to continue to be a major political figure for many years to come, including 44% who say they would like him to run for president in 2024, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis.
The share of Republicans who say Trump should continue to be a GOP leader has grown by 10 percentage points – from 57% to 67% – since a January survey conducted in the waning days of his administration and in the immediate wake of the January 6 riot at the US Capitol, according to the survey, conducted between September 13-19.
Among Republicans, the survey noted that views on whether Trump should continue to lead them or run for office in the next presidential election vary by age, education and ideology.
For example, 72% of Republicans with some college experience say Trump should be a major figure, with half saying he should run for president in the next presidential election. In comparison, a narrower majority (54%) of Republicans with a college degree or more say Trump should remain a prominent figure, including just 28% who say he should run for office in 2024.
Much of the electorate also consider support for their candidate to be an important part of their partisan identity, the analysis found. Since March, smaller shares of Republicans and Democrats now say their parties should accept elected officials who openly criticize Trump or Biden. Today, 36% of Republicans say it is at least somewhat acceptable for Republican elected officials to openly criticize Trump, down from 43% earlier this year.
The survey was conducted among 10,371 US adults who are members of Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel.