Republican candidates may want to dial back bragging about being card-carrying members of President Donald Trump's MAGA movement, a new survey of American voters suggests.
A stunning CNBC survey released Friday revealed that economic turmoil has rendered the MAGA brand more politically poisonous then the label of socialism.
"Half of all voters say they are unlikely to support a democratic socialist candidate, with 32% saying they would support one," CNBC reported. "An endorsement by the president is somewhat worse, with 52% saying they would not support such a candidate. Worst of all are self-described MAGA candidates, which the survey found 57% of the public said they would be unlikely to support."
This could present a fundamental problem for Trump's movement heading into the midterms, experts said.
“More voters expect things to get worse by a 41/29% margin, leaving the electorate in a distinctly sour mood heading into the midterm election cycle,″ Micah Roberts, partner at Republican pollsters Public Opinion Strategies, told CNBC.
Despite favorable economic indicators—a booming stock market and declining inflation—the public remains deeply pessimistic about economic conditions, the survey found.
Consumer anxiety about everyday costs has reached pandemic-era levels, creating a disconnect between headline numbers and lived experience. Add to that the unpopularity of Trump's war which has trickled down to some of his congressional supporters.
The polling numbers reveal a Trump endorsement makes 52 percent of voters less likely to support a candidate, compared to just 29 percent who say it helps.
The comes close to how radioactive the MAGA label has become, with an alarming 57 percent of voters saying identifying as a self-described MAGA candidate would make them less likely to vote for them. Only 27 percent said it would help their prospects.
