Raising money and poll numbers, Donald Trump stays ‘Teflon Don’ amid indictments

Despite facing three indictments on various criminal charges, Donald Trump remains the favored Republican presidential candidate as his poll numbers and fundraising efforts continue to rise.

In context: Trump, the only president to have been impeached twice, faces charges related to hush money payments and mishandling of classified documents, and most recently, the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
* The controversy has reinforced the “Teflon Don” reputation that saw Trump survive multiple scandals during his previous campaign and tenure as president.

By the numbers: Each indictment has coincided with a spike in Trump’s support and fundraising efforts.
* In March, prior to the first indictment, Trump held a 43% average in Republican polling, according to a RealClearPolitics average. After the indictment, his numbers rose to 50%.
* Two months later, another indictment led to an increase in his polling average to 55%.

Campaign strategy: Instead of being undermined by his legal challenges, Trump has been able to turn them into a rallying cry for support, proclaiming them as evidence of a “rigged system”.
* After each indictment, Trump’s campaign uses them as occasions for new waves of fundraising calls, feeding into his narrative of the system being against him.

However: While these legal challenges bolster Trump’s support from his base, they may damage his appeal to independents and Republican swing voters in the general election.
* A majority of Americans, including 52% of independents, believe Trump has done something illegal, and the Republican party faces the challenge of considering its wider political future.

View original article on NPR

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