>>Seventy-two percent of MAGA Trump voters say they would stick with a GOP candidate accused of domestic violence, more than 10 percentage points higher than the overall share of Trump 2024 voters who would back a GOP candidate (61 percent). Thirty-nine percent of Harris voters say they’d stick with a Democrat accused of domestic violence.

Scandal in American politics is not new, but the poll results help underscore how Trump has helped reshape partisan loyalty. Across every hypothetical scandal tested, MAGA Trump voters were more loyal than the rest of the electorate.

The president has displayed a remarkable ability to withstand controversy himself, from the Access Hollywood tape to his four criminal indictments, and a willingness to back other MAGA-aligned candidates, boosting them to victory even if they have past controversies. Three of four of Trump’s criminal cases were thrown out or dropped once he returned to the White House, while the fourth, his conviction in the Manhattan hush money case, is under appeal.

That’s true in some of the most pivotal races of the 2026 midterm cycle, which has been defined by scandal on both sides of the aisle: Democrats stood by Graham Platner in Maine’s Senate race throughout a series of scandals until abandoning him following a sexual assault allegation, which he denies. The GOP has rallied behind embattled Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Republican voters in Arizona also recently selected former Arizona sheriff Mark Lamb as their nominee in a House race amid allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse of power. Lamb has denied the allegations.

In both cases, Trump was a decisive factor propelling them across the finish line.

“Scandal doesn’t mean what it did 15 years ago. The rules have changed, and Republican voters know it,” said longtime Republican strategist Ford O’Connell. “Republicans, particularly MAGA voters, have learned that Queensberry rules don’t win in modern politics. Today it’s a full-contact fight, more UFC than civics class, and anything goes.”

Americans on both sides are willing to tolerate scandals — up to a point.


The POLITICO Poll, conducted by independent U.K.-based polling firm Public First, tested a dozen hypothetical scandals and found near-majorities of voters across the political spectrum would stand by candidates with DUI convictions or accused of using tax loopholes, concealing a terminal illness or exaggerating their military service.

None of the hypothetical scandals caused MAGA voters to abandon a GOP candidate, with majorities across every scenario tested saying they would stick with the candidate, including through accusations of domestic violence or sexual assault. Trump’s 2024 voting coalition as a whole was also generally more likely to continue voting for the GOP candidate, even after a scandal, with the exception of when a candidate made antisemitic comments.

Harris 2024 voters, however, drew a line. Facing some scandals, such as a Democratic candidate accepting gifts from lobbyists or accused of domestic violence or sexual assault, more Harris voters would either stay home or vote Republican than stick with their party’s nominee.

That dynamic has played out on the campaign trail. In Maine, Platner weathered months of controversy, including over past Reddit posts and a tattoo that resembled a Nazi symbol, and only dropped out of the race after POLITICO’s report that a woman said he forced her to have sex with him, an allegation he denies.

>>“In hindsight, knowing what we know now, the Reddit posts alone probably should have been enough …. The tattoo should have been enough. The initial New York Times story on troubling behavior should have been enough,” former top Platner adviser Morris Katz recently told the New York Times.

The survey also found that principled opposition to scandal shifts when voters face practical realities.

To test those considerations, the survey presented respondents with candidates from different parties — and found a significant partisan gap. Democrats were slightly more willing to say that Republicans should drop out than Democratic candidates should, to the tune of about a five-point difference. But across nearly all scenarios, Republican voters were significantly more likely to say the Democrat should drop out over the same scandal than the Republican should.

For example, 71 percent of Republicans said a Democratic candidate accused of sexual assault should drop out of the race. Asked the same question about a Republican candidate, that fell to 52 percent.

“For most voters, scandal is one ingredient among many in a partisan calculation, it is no longer a standalone verdict,” said Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston who has researched political scandal.

>>1526543
So?

news today
tRump stands in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoots somebody, and he didn't lose any voters.

>>1526563
That's because he probably shot another leftist who was trying to obstruct ICE.

>>1526557
So they are a cult with no morals, nothing that they stand for. All they want is a boot to lick

>>1526567
>So they are a cult with no morals
>from the cult with no morals that danced and cheered when Charlie Kirk was murdered

>>1526569
How many George Floyd memes do you have saved?

>>1526569
>I'm fine with my president being a rapist but I draw the line at people mocking my ragebait podcaster for getting shot
Hey so remember the hammer time jokes about Pelosi's husband or does it only count when you get mad.

Eh, don't care either way. It'll never stop being hilarious that Kirk's legacy is as a shitpost or that all the people you tried to get fired over pointing out he was a shithead post-mortem wound up getting thousands to millions from successful lawsuits about first amendment violations.

>Americans are largely tolerant of scandals among politicians
Trumpkins aren't Americans.

>>1526557
MAGA crossed the line between merely loyal and obsessive zombie…

>>1526571
>comparing a criminal to someone with no criminal record

>>1526572
Hey so remember the millions of Republicans who danced on TikTok or laughed on youtube when Pelosi's husband got hurt? Because I don't.

>>1526576
Kirk devoted his life to being divisive. You people cheer every time anyone who disliked Trump does, no matter how unknown they are
You can’t get mad at people for doing the same thing as you

>>1526577
>You people cheer every time anyone who disliked Trump does, no matter how unknown they are
I'm going to let you in on a little secret: Nobody conservative even knew about Trump's shitty joke and his yes-men chuckling about it until everyone on the left made it front-page news. And even then we didn't give a fuck. Whereas you "people" treated Kirk's murder like it was an early Christmas present.

That's the difference between us. So miss me with your moral high-ground bullshit. You lost that when you cheered for his death the same way Palestinians cheered for those murdered Olympians in Munich.

>>1526576
It must be so hard to be victimized like maga is. 8 trillion TikTok dancers, constantly harassing them in their dreams

>>1526543


>47% of Republicans would still vote for Trump even if implicated in Epstein's crimes, survey found
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-epstein-republican-voters/

>>1526576

>>1526577
kirk made fun of pelosis husband being attacked and wanted the attacker bailed out

https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/charlie-kirk-once-called-for-patriot-to-bail-out-paul-pelosi-assailant-david-depape/

>>1526578
The message when Republicans clap like seals every time Trump touts outlives one his dissenters is pretty clear and it’s pathetic that you try this hard to lie.

>>1526576
>Hey so remember the millions of Republicans who danced on TikTok or laughed on youtube when Pelosi's husband got hurt? Because I don't.
Unironically yes. And it wasn't just random TikTokers or youtubers either. It was Fox News hosts, Trump, his family. Lot of mainstream republicans actually.

>>1526581
>In the segment, Kirk disparaged the notion that Republican rhetoric at the time was in any way responsible for the attack on Paul Pelosi.
Hmmm. Off to a flying start already. Can't wait to read the rest of this article and not see any of the bullshit you're claiming.

>>1526581
>Kirk clarified that he wasn’t “qualifying” the attack.
>“I think it’s awful. It’s not right,” he said.
I'm sorry, where's the fucking part where Kirk made fun of Pelosi's husband. I'm not fucking seeing that anywhere in your article, you lying sack of shit.

>>1526583
Yeah like Charlie Kirk did? Oh wait that didn't happen and you fags lied about it. Why don't you show me all these mainstream Republicans that were making fun of him.

>>1526543
we already know MIGA love traitorous rapists
this isn't news

>>1526586
>>1526585
ok, so what about him wanting to bail out the attacker?

>>1526587
https://web.archive.org/web/20221101153726/https://www.politico.com/news/2022/10/31/conservatives-disinformation-paul-pelosi-assault-00064208

>Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, Congressman Clay Higgins, Republican of Louisiana, and right-wing commentator Dinesh D’Souza all mocked the attack over the weekend in social media posts, in some cases suggesting without evidence that it was part of an elaborate cover up.

https://time.com/6226946/paul-pelosi-attack-gop-response-political-discourse/

>>1526591
>Prominent conservatives share online disinformation about Paul Pelosi assault
No, retard, I said show me all these mainstream Republicans that were making fun of him. Can you fucking read?

>>1526543
ofc they would the alternative is voting in people who want them dead. democrats are human filth, who frequently lie and betray

>>1526593

https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2022/11/08/2003788482

>>1526592
>>Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, Congressman Clay Higgins, Republican of Louisiana, and right-wing commentator Dinesh D’Souza all mocked the attack over the weekend in social media posts,
>Doesn't show these posts anywhere.
I swear to god I'm talking to bots.

>>1526595
Okay Donald Trump Jr. That's one. Where's the rest?

>>1526595
>makes up bullshit about mainstream republican
>links a video to fucking donald trump jr.
is he a politician no is he a tv host no? but you're fine with cunts like colbert and kimmel with millions of viewers on a daily, openly telling you assault your opposition. isn't that hypocritical?

I hope you get punched and assaulted by a gay guy with a mallet.

>esl shill crashes out over Republicunts being hypocrites who love rapists and criminals
>current cope level: "I need names and examples of every Republicunt who laughed about Paul Pelosi"
lmao, what a self BTFO
I bet they still trigger themselves over fake tweets laughing about Kirk getting urk'd

>>1526598
>guys the son of the president who repeatedly has been sent on official white house business as an advisor and who holds major sway within the republican party is basically a nobody

>>1526603
NTA, you said there were "Lot"(s) of mainstream Republicans were making fun of Pelosi. So far you've shown proof of only two: Donald Trump and Donald Trump Jr.

This does not compare in any way to the thousands of people who celebrated Charlie Kirk being murdered.

>>1526543
They’re right and I’m glad to be part of the Trump flock of sheep. I’d gladly vote for someone who is
>a felon
>outwardly corrupt
>a pedo
>suffering from dementia
>selling our country to corporate interests
>sacrificing overseas for israel
>willing to shit on our allies
Before I vote for a d*mocrat

>>1526569
>>from the cult with no morals that danced and cheered when Charlie Kirk was murdered
I don't feel any sadness for Goebbels killing himself, so why should I pretend to be sad when a retarded christofascist gets a well-deserved bullet through the neck?

>>1526611
And there you have it. You have no place to lecture anyone about morals - least of all Republicans.

>>1526606
>NTA, you said there were "Lot"(s) of mainstream Republicans were making fun of Pelosi. So far you've shown proof of only two: Donald Trump and Donald Trump Jr.
>This does not compare in any way to the thousands of people who celebrated Charlie Kirk being murdered.
Can you show me that lots of MAINSTREAM democrat politicians that celebrated his murder

>>1526598
>cunts like colbert and kimmel with millions of viewers on a daily, openly telling you assault your opposition
source? when did they say that?

>>1526569
>>1526576
charlie kirk was a criminal. He was involved in an attempted coup.

>>1526612
>And there you have it. You have no place to lecture anyone about morals - least of all Republicans.
No, I absolutely do. Because by definition, far-righters and alt-righters like you have even less morals. That is the core of your belief system. Being a hateful piece of dogshit with no principles. It's your "raison d'être". There is no tolerance to be had for intolerant grown-ups. The world would provably we a better place if you, and people like you, all died. You are keeping humanity from progressing and always have throughout history. The world instantly became a better place when Mussoli and Hitler violently died, and it will provably instantly be better when the orange pig dies.

>>1526543
What a truly pathetic group of people.

>>1526619
>No, I absolutely do.
No you absolutely don't, bitch. You're side has made it very clear that it wants us dead (especially your post), and they'll celebrate every murder your side commits. So go fuck yourself.

>The world would provably we a better place if you, and people like you, all died.
Anytime you want to try it, let me know. Because trust me, right now, nothing would make me happier than to have the opportunity to cut your fucking heart out.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/nov/01/kari-lake-mocks-paul-pelosi-attack

>The tweet was a picture of Nancy Pelosi holding her hands to her face and over the picture Higgins wrote, “The moment you realize a nudist hippie male prostitute LSD guy was the reason your husband didn’t make it to your fundraiser.”

https://louisianaradionetwork.com/2022/10/31/congressman-higgins-deletes-twitter-post-mocking-house-speaker-nancy-pelosis-husband/

not the same incident but proves a point:
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/sen-mike-lee-deletes-social-media-posts-minnesota-shooting-facing-crit-rcna213565
>Lee had written in one post about the Saturday assassination of Democratic state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, that “this is what happens When Marxists don’t get their way.” In another, he posted a photo of the suspect and captioned it "Nightmare on Waltz Street," an apparent reference to Democratic Gov. Tim Walz.

>>1526622
>No you absolutely don't, bitch. You're side
Maybe use deepl instead of trying to write English by yourself?
You'll make less mistakes that immediately out you as an esl.

>Anytime you want to try it, let me know.
Yeah I'd love to but I don't plan on traveling to Russia any time soon, so...

No one actually cares that a bunch of liberal women and judges accused Trump of sexual assault and never came forward until he was president. No one cares he paid a hooker either. You retards didn't say a word about Bernie and Elizabeth Warren taking pharmaceutical bribes for millions.

>>1526572
>president being a rapist
Do you have evidence for this claim? Please show me where he was convicted of rape.

>>1526628
>You retards didn't say a word about Bernie and Elizabeth Warren taking pharmaceutical bribes for millions.
Yeah, because it didn't happen, you sniveling buffoon.
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/bernie-rfk-big-pharma/

>>1526630
>Snopes
>Look guys, it was only 1.4 million from OpenSecrets and 400,000 from "pharmaceutical manufacturing"
>See guys. That's completely different and snopes fact checks it as false
Seriously kill yourself

>>1526633
>>Look guys, it was only 1.4 million from OpenSecrets and 400,000 from "pharmaceutical manufacturing"
"This does not mean he received nearly $2 million from "the pharmaceutical industry," — it means the money was from people employed, in any capacity, in that field."
Learn to read, russian shill.

>>1526634
>Liberals pretending not to know anything, again

1526633
>claims millions
>not even two million
esl shill strikes again

>>1526603
>but enough about biden JR not being the president so all attacks on the democrats using him are invalid.
ya double standard dipshit. kill yourself.

>>1526633
>According to OpenSecrets, 70% of the money raised by Sanders from 2015 to 2020 originated from small individual donors contributing less than $200. Multiple analyses of his 2020 donations have suggested that the people giving to that campaign were not executives.

>>1526642
>Multiple analyses of his 2020 donations have suggested that the people giving to that campaign were not executives.
Clever wording to avoid saying that they were employees or benefactors of the pharmaceutical industry

>>1526640
Trumps kids grifted billions. hunter didn't do anything on that scale

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgmv98ez3zo
https://www.wsj.com/finance/currencies/trump-family-amasses-6-billion-fortune-after-crypto-launch-567faec5
>Trump Family Amasses $5 Billion Fortune After Crypto Launch

>>1526647
>bu bu but but Trump
How much money was given to Ukraine because of Hunter?

>>1526647
Da, answer comrade >>1526648's question

>>1526648
before we answer, please tell us: is russia winning

>>1526650
Is Russia picking people up off the street? Did Russia make it so that jews are exempt from fighting Ukraine?

>>1526648
how much?

>>1526651
it's a yes or no question russian faggot shill

>>1526647
presidential pardon anon you fucking dipshit. they didn't grift it they had partnerships with existing companies and retards bought their coins. hut8 was one of the companies they partnered up with.

>>1526662
why are you defending this when you are still a broke loser though

>>1526647
No what Hunter did was actually illegal: call up daddy to make the state department withhold financial aid to Ukraine unless they fire the lead investigator looking into corruption at the company where he's one of the members.

>>1526664
cause ur a fucking loser whose going lol that's bad but getting a presidential pardon because ur a nepobaby is fine. you fucking retarded piece of shit

>>1526654
I mean they're doing better than they were three years ago.
Thanks biden.

esl shill is drunk