Fifty percent of New Hampshire Republican primary voters believe former President Donald Trump would still be fit to serve as president even if he is convicted of a crime, according to a Tuesday evening CBS News exit poll.
Conversely, 47 percent of Republican voters hold the opposite opinion that the former president would not be able to serve if he is found guilty of any of the numerous charges brought against him.
A CBS exit poll from the January 15 Iowa caucuses showed even greater support for Trump, as well over half — 64 percent — of Republican voters maintained that a guilty verdict against Trump would not impair him from performing presidential duties. Thirty-one percent said otherwise.
CBS Exit Poll: is Trump fit to be President if Convicted of a Crime (among Republican Primary voters)
— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) January 23, 2024
New Hampshire
Yes — 50%
No — 47%
Iowa
Yes — 64%
No — 31% pic.twitter.com/w3C7wBxOsg
CBS expounded in a follow-up survey, showing that of the Republicans who voted for former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in New Hampshire on Tuesday, 85 percent do not think Trump would be fit to serve if convicted of a crime, while 12 percent say he would be.
Of those who cast their ballot for Trump, 86 percent support him regardless of a conviction, and 11 percent do not.
CBS Exit Poll: Is Trump fit to be President if Convicted of a Crime?
— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) January 23, 2024
Haley voters
Yes 12%
No 85%
Trump voters
Yes 86%
No 11% pic.twitter.com/0ppNk63ftw
CBS did not provide the size of the survey pool, and a margin or error was not specified.
The New Hampshire Republican primary is a face-off between Trump and Haley, as all other GOP primary candidates dropped out of the race, the latest being Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who ceded after coming in nearly 30 points behind Trump in the Iowa caucuses.
Despite tensions on the campaign trail, DeSantis offered Trump his endorsement after dropping out.
“While I’ve had disagreements with Donald Trump, such as on the coronavirus pandemic and his elevation of Anthony Fauci, Trump is superior to the current incumbent, Joe Biden. That is clear,” DeSantis said. “I signed a pledge to support the Republican nominee, and I will honor that pledge.”
Not only did he uplift the former president, DeSantis shamed Haley, adding, “He has my endorsement because we can’t go back to the old Republican Guard of yesteryear — a repackaged form of warmed-over corporatism that Nikki Haley represents.”
Ron DeSantis Drops Out of GOP Primary, Endorses Trump
Ron DeSantis / TwitterDeSantis joins his fellow former GOP primary candidates entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott in endorsing Trump.
