POLL | Trump, the president Republicans admire most: Surpasses Reagan and Lincoln

The loyalty of the Republican base has a name: Donald Trump. A poll by Elon University shows that 53% of Republicans name the current president as the party leader they admire most, far ahead of Ronald Reagan (18%) and Abraham Lincoln (8%).

The data, presented by CNN's chief data analyst, Harry Enten, in a recent segment, highlights the unprecedented hold Trump has over his party. "This is a reality check for you. That is, Donald Trump is still the sun on which the planets of the GOP revolve around. You could see it quite well here," Enten said.

Golden primaries

Enten highlighted Trump's success in boosting non-incumbent Republicans in Senate races. The clearest example is that of Darline Graham in South Carolina: following the death of her brother, Senator Lindsey Graham, she ran in the special primary, and the presidential endorsement changed the game.

That ability to rally the party is not an isolated incident. The CNN analyst noted that this year, 100% of the Senate candidates endorsed by Trump have won their primaries, and that since 2022, that success rate has remained at 95%.

According to Enten, the polling shows Trump far ahead of former Republican presidents in terms of admiration among GOP voters.