For all the talk of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton’s likability problem, presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump is facing incredible resistance from members of his own political party. A new Fox News poll out Wednesday shows that while Democrats prefer Clinton over rival Bernie Sanders by 21 points, a majority of Republicans wish they had a candidate other than the one they’ve got.
Trump has been slowly slipping in the polls in recent weeks, and support—particularly among women and voters with a college degree—continues to dwindle for the self-proclaimed billionaire. According to the Washington Post, 71 percent of Republican voters think Trump is “obnoxious,” while 44 percent say he lacks the experience to lead.
The slip can be attributed, at least in part, to a variety of gaffes Trump has made in recent weeks. His blubbering foreign policy speech following the terror attack at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, combined with his continued attacks on the judge presiding over a lawsuit against the now-defunct Trump University, gave some Republican voters pause. As Politico notes:
“[A loss of support among Republicans] is a a sharp reminder that Trump’s triumph in the primaries, and the prospect that he will lure disaffected Democrats and armies of first-time voters to the polls, may obscure a counterpoint: A striking number of committed Republicans and conservatives, including donors, operatives and foot soldiers, are prepared to withhold their support, their money and their votes that would have gone to any other Republican nominee.”
Trump’s bloviating and brazenness is what propelled him to the forefront of the GOP nomination. But according to these early poll numbers, those character traits may ultimately be his downfall.
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