While Americans are generally accepting of political scandals, MAGA voters are particularly steadfast in their support of embattled candidates.
A POLITICO Poll reveals that supporters of President Donald Trump, particularly those identifying as MAGA, remain the most steadfast among voter groups. These voters tend to support GOP candidates facing various scandals, whether involving DUI convictions, lobbyist gifts, or more severe accusations like domestic violence, sexual assault, and antisemitic social media activity.
Two-thirds of MAGA Trump supporters would continue to back a GOP candidate accused of sexual assault, a figure 13 percentage points higher than Trump 2024 voters overall, which includes non-MAGA identifiers. In contrast, 40 percent of voters who supported Kamala Harris in 2024 would back a Democratic candidate facing the same accusation.
Seventy-two percent of MAGA Trump supporters would continue their support for a GOP candidate accused of domestic violence, which is over 10 percentage points higher than the broader Trump 2024 voter base (61 percent). Meanwhile, 39 percent of Harris voters would back a Democrat with similar accusations.
Though scandals are not new in American politics, the poll highlights how Trump has reshaped party loyalty, with MAGA Trump supporters being consistently more loyal than other voters across various hypothetical scandals.
Trump himself has demonstrated a unique ability to weather controversies, from the Access Hollywood tape to multiple criminal indictments, while actively supporting other candidates aligned with MAGA, even those with past scandals. Three of Trump’s four criminal cases were dismissed or dropped after he returned to the White House, while the fourth, concerning a Manhattan hush money conviction, is under appeal.
This trend is evident in key races of the 2026 midterm elections, marked by scandals on both sides: Democrats initially backed Graham Platner in Maine’s Senate race despite controversies, abandoning him only after a sexual assault allegation, which he denies. In contrast, the GOP has supported Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, and Arizona Republicans nominated Mark Lamb for a House race amid allegations of misconduct, which he denies.
Trump’s influence was crucial in securing victories for both Platner and Lamb.
“Scandal doesn’t mean what it did 15 years ago. The rules have changed, and Republican voters know it,” noted Republican strategist Ford O’Connell. “Republicans, particularly MAGA voters, have learned that Queensberry rules don’t win in modern politics. Today it’s a full-contact fight, more UFC than civics class, and anything goes.”
While scandals can be tolerated to an extent, the POLITICO Poll, conducted by U.K.-based polling firm Public First, tested various hypothetical scandals, revealing near-majorities of voters across the political spectrum would support candidates with DUI convictions or those accused of exploiting tax loopholes, hiding terminal illnesses, or exaggerating military credentials.
No hypothetical scandal led MAGA voters to abandon a GOP candidate; they consistently supported candidates even when accused of domestic violence or sexual assault. Trump’s 2024 coalition also showed resilience toward GOP candidates post-scandal, except when antisemitic comments were made.
However, Harris 2024 voters showed limits. When confronted with scandals like accepting gifts from lobbyists or accusations of domestic violence or sexual assault, more Harris voters preferred to abstain from voting or switch to Republican candidates rather than support their party’s nominee.
This trend was evident on the campaign trail. In Maine, Platner endured controversies, including past Reddit posts and a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol, withdrawing only after POLITICO reported a sexual assault allegation against him, which he denies.
“In hindsight, knowing what we know now, the Reddit posts alone probably should have been enough …. The tattoo should have been enough. The initial New York Times story on troubling behavior should have been enough,” said Morris Katz, a former top adviser to Platner, in a recent interview with the New York Times.
The survey also highlights how voters’ principled stands against scandals can shift when faced with practical political realities.
Examining these considerations, the survey revealed a notable partisan gap. Democrats were slightly more inclined to suggest that Republican candidates should withdraw than their own, by about a five-point margin. Conversely, Republican voters were significantly more inclined to demand a Democrat’s withdrawal over similar allegations compared to a Republican.
For instance, 71 percent of Republicans felt a Democrat accused of sexual assault should exit the race, whereas this figure dropped to 52 percent for a Republican facing the same charge.
“For most voters, scandal is one ingredient among many in a partisan calculation, it is no longer a standalone verdict,” observed Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston who studies political scandal.
