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NEWS POLITICS

Former President Donald Trump Dominates Republican Primary Field Despite Bogus Federal Indictments, Polls Show

ByAlki David

Jul 9, 2023

Former President Donald Trump is making waves in the crowded Republican primary field as he embarks on his third bid for the White House. Despite facing two federal indictments, Trump continues to dominate the early primary season, leaving his competitors struggling to catch up.

Polling analysts have described this primary cycle as “unprecedented.” The fact that a former president is leading the pack with such a significant margin has caught the attention of experts. Kyle Kondik, a nonpartisan polling analyst and managing editor for Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, highlighted the unusual nature of this GOP primary season.

“This GOP primary is truly unprecedented because Trump is not technically an incumbent, but Republican voters seem to be treating him as at least a quasi-incumbent,” Kondik explained to the Daily Caller News Foundation (DCNF). He further noted that the size of the field makes it challenging for any non-Trump candidate to consolidate support.

The stark difference between this primary season and previous cycles is evident. The presence of a former president with a substantial lead in the polls, coupled with his former vice president running against him and the weight of two federal indictments, sets this primary apart from the rest. Drawing comparisons to modern history becomes challenging due to the unique circumstances.

McHenry, another expert cited by the DCNF, acknowledged that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was polling well against Trump prior to the first indictment. However, Trump’s support has surged since then. McHenry believes that the politically motivated and legally questionable nature of the New York charges has rallied Republicans back to the former president.

“With a very different context than holding top-secret documents in an unsecured location, the New York charges are seen as politically motivated,” McHenry explained. “Republicans who may have been ready to move on to a fresh face have, at least for now, returned to support the former president.”

Former President Donald Trump’s lead in the Republican primary field showcases his significant influence and the lasting impact he has had on the party. As the primary season progresses, it remains to be seen whether any candidate can challenge his dominance and emerge as a strong contender for the GOP nomination.

By Alki David

Alki David — Publisher, Media Architect, SIN Network Creator - live, direct-to-public communication, media infrastructure, accountability journalism, and independent distribution. Born in Lagos, Nigeria; educated in the United Kingdom and Switzerland; attended the Royal College of Art. Early internet broadcaster — participated in real-time public coverage during the 1997 Mars landing era using experimental online transmission from Beverly Hills. Founder of FilmOn, one of the earliest global internet television networks offering live and on-demand broadcasting outside legacy gatekeepers. Publisher of SHOCKYA — reporting since 2010 on systemic corruption inside the entertainment business and its expansion into law, finance, and regulation. Creator of the SIN Network (ShockYA Integrated Network), a federated media and civic-information infrastructure spanning investigative journalism, live TV, documentary, and court-record reporting. Lived and worked for over 40 years inside global media hubs including Malibu, Beverly Hills, London, Hong Kong and Gstaad. Early encounter with Julian Assange during the first Hologram USA operations proved a formative turning point — exposing the realities of lawfare, information suppression, and concentrated media power. Principal complainant and driving force behind what court filings describe as the largest consolidated media–legal accountability action on record, now before the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court. Relocated to Antigua & Barbuda and entered sustained legal, civic, and informational confrontation over media power, safeguarding, and accountability at Commonwealth scale.