Republicans fear Trump running in 2024 will spell disaster up and down the ballot: reporter

Republicans are worried about Donald Trump running again for president in 2024 because they're afraid that will fire up Democratic voters -- and right-wing voters -- against them.

Fewer than half of GOP voters believe the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection was very violent, but the vast majority of Democrats do -- and two-thirds of all Americans agree, and journalist David Drucker revealed that Republicans fear that disconnect could hurt candidates once they reach a general election.

"We have to understand the difference between primaries and general elections and midterm elections and presidential elections," Drucker told MSNBC's "Morning Joe." "I don't get now, when you look at the polling leading into the 2022 election, where the current president's job approval rating and the generic ballot is, that Republicans are going to suffer much for Jan. 6 in the midterm elections."

RELATED: 'We need to prepare': Retired general sounds alarm that US military could lead coup after 2024

"They continue, however, and I've talked to them about this, to be very nervous about a presidential election in 2024 where Donald Trump is the nominee, because they don't see him able to get past a lot of the problem that cost him re-election," Drucker added, "and even a Biden that may not appear strong as he did in 2020 would be able to turn out voters in force the way he was able to because Trump was on the ballot."

Trump controls the GOP, Drucker said, but Republican lawmakers and candidates fear the twice-impeached one-term president far less than they fear his hardcore supporters -- especially after some of them marched on the U.S. Capitol one year ago.

"We talk a lot about Trump having this power over Republicans in Congress, which he does, but it really stems from Republicans voters, not so much Trump himself," Drucker said. "They are the ones that continue to support Trump quite strongly, and it is that Republicans in Congress feared not so much saying no to Trump but having their voters upset at them when they say no to Trump, and even Donald Trump has really followed the lead, in some cases, of conservative grassroots voters."

01 06 2022 06 19 23www.youtube.com