Former President Donald Trump continues to lead the GOP nomination race despite being indicted twice in the past three months.
What Happened: According to a recent survey conducted by Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll, 59% of Republican voters indicated that they would vote for Trump if the GOP primary were held today, reported The Hill.
See Also: Trump’s Joy? New York Prosecutor Shuts Down Tax Probe, Ex-President Says, ‘Honorable Thing To Do’
At the same time, about 14% supported Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, 8% supported former Vice President Mike Pence, and 4% said they would back former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley.
The poll was conducted after the former president announced he had been indicted on federal charges for mishandling classified documents at his Mar-A-Lago residence.
"The indictment of former President Trump has had no impact on his support in the GOP primary as Ron DeSantis has even more ground to make up with the entry of so many new candidates," said Mark Penn, the co-director of the Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll survey.
Why It Matters: The GOP frontrunner is deep in legal troubles. Federal prosecutors criminally charged him earlier this week in Florida for his alleged mishandling of secret documents found. Additionally, in April, he was charged with 34 felony counts for covering up hush money payments to an adult star. On Thursday, a federal judge scheduled the trial date for E. Jean Carroll's second defamation lawsuit against Trump for next year.
Trump continues to maintain his innocence and has denied any wrongdoing. He argued that the cases are politically motivated and has vowed to go after President Joe Biden's family if the former president returns to power in 2024.
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