A new poll shows that the proportion of Republicans who identify more with the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement than with the traditional Republican Party has declined, Newsweek reports.
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The proportion of self-described Republicans who identify as followers of MAGA, the political movement associated with US President Donald Trump, has dropped seven percentage points since April 2025, according to NBC News polls.
At the same time, the number of those who say they identify more with traditional Republicans rose by seven percentage points.
The poll is significant as the midterm elections are fast approaching and the Republican Party is trying to protect its fragile majorities in the House and Senate. If divisions are created in the Republican movement, this fact could prove problematic for the Republican Party's performance in this election, which would also affect Trump's image and reputation.
If the MAGA movement loses popularity this fact could have an impact on the person the party will select to succeed Trump in the 2028 presidential election.
The poll found that 50 percent of Republicans associated with MAGA's beliefs, while 50 percent said they leaned more toward the traditional Republican Party. In April, 57 percent of Republicans said they aligned with MAGA, while 43 percent said a stronger connection to the Republican Party.
The numbers come as the Republican Party has recently seen poor results in a number of Nov. 4 elections, including the New York City mayoral race, where Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani defeated independent Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa.
Cracks in the MAGA movement
Some cracks have already appeared in the MAGA movement after Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene engaged in a public spat with Trump, culminating in the announcement of her decision to resign from Congress in January 2026.
Amid growing anxieties about the party's future, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles said last week that the Republican Party is poised to change its strategy for the 2026 midterm elections, inviting Trump to campaign.
The NBC poll found that 58 percent of those surveyed disapprove of Trump, while 42 percent approve. In April, 55% of Americans had an unfavorable view of him and 45% viewed him favorably, so his approval rating fell slightly by 3 percentage points.
The survey was conducted between November 20 and December 8, on a sample of 20,252 adults. The margin of error was +/- 1.9 percentage points.
In an interview with Newsweek magazine, Mark Shanahan, who teaches American political science at the University of Surrey in the UK, commented: “Trump won't be on the ballot in 2026, but he'll still dominate the election. They will be won and lost on the economy, so if the economy remains weak as the campaign progresses, his policies will hurt Republican candidates. And if Republicans lose control of Congress next November, all bets are off on who will be on the ballot in 2028.”
