GOP Voters’ Post-Riot Departures Help Trump’s Base Cement Grip
- Party defections in closed primary states tip balance to Trump
- Trump vows to back primary challenges to Republican critics
Donald Trump speaks during the "Save America Rally" near the White House in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6.
Photographer: Eric Lee/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Tens of thousands of Republicans have left the party in the weeks since the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, a move that sidelines members who could have loosened Donald Trump’s ever-tightening grip on the GOP.
In six key states, 57,000 voters have quit the GOP, becoming Democrats, Libertarians or just unaffiliated, according to a Bloomberg analysis. Nationally, some estimates put the number at more than 100,000.