Nearly half of Donald Trump’s 2024 voters now want someone else on the 2028 Republican ticket, an Economist/YouGov survey released Tuesday shows.
Among respondents who backed Trump last year, 45% oppose him running again, 43% support the idea and 11% are unsure. The poll was conducted before Trump told reporters on Tuesday, “It’s not gonna be me,” while suggesting Cabinet members could succeed him.
The Constitution’s 22nd Amendment bars any person from being elected president more than twice, but talk of a third Trump term has persisted among loyalists. Official “Trump 2028” merchandise circulates online, and former White House strategist Steve Bannon claims a “plan” exists to circumvent the limit. Trump himself said in October the prohibition was “too bad” yet acknowledged the document is “pretty clear.”
The poll underscores eroding enthusiasm for the president within his own coalition. Nationwide, 58% of adults disapprove of his performance, the survey found, while only 39% approve—figures that match other recent polls showing record-low ratings.
Economic frustration appears to be driving the slump. Thirty-seven per cent of Trump voters told YouGov that “things have never been worse,” citing high grocery and housing costs. Democrats have exploited the mood, running on “affordability” and over-performing in special elections across the country.
Thomas Whalen, a politics professor at Boston University, said the findings show “MAGA is not immune to the law of political gravity,” adding that eight years of controversy may have exhausted even loyal supporters.
With the 2026 mid-terms eight months away, Republicans must now decide how tightly to embrace a leader whom nearly half of their own base would rather retire.