A majority of Americans – and an even greater majority of Latinos – say that GOP frontrunner Donald Trump is hurting the Republican Party’s image, and half of Americans believe that his rhetoric is “insulting and offensive,” a new MSNBC/Telemundo/Marist poll shows.
According to the poll, 58 percent of adults say that Trump has marred the GOP’s reputation, compared to just 24 percent who say he is helping its image. Among Hispanics, that margin is 65 percent compared to just 16 percent who say he has helped the party. Republicans are divided on the question, with 43 percent saying Trump is helping the GOP’s image and 40 percent saying that he has hurt it.
In contrast, 35 percent of all adults say that Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton is hurting her party’s image, while 32 percent say she is helping it.
Republicans still give Trump relatively high marks for style, with 71 percent dubbing Trump’s rhetoric as “telling it like it is.” A quarter of Republicans, on the other hand, say that Trump’s words are “insulting and offensive.”
But among all Americans, about half – 52 percent – say his language is offensive, while 43 percent say he’s “telling it like it is.”
The split between Republicans and all Americans is also evident in Trump’s favorability ratings.
Fifty-seven percent of Republicans view him favorably, compared to just 23 percent who view him unfavorably. But among all adults, Trump has a 27 percent positive/ 55 percent negative rating.
And two-thirds of Latinos – 67 percent – have a negative view of Trump, with 55 percent saying their view is very negative. Just 17 percent of Latinos give him a thumbs up.
Trump fares the worst of any 2016 candidate polled on favorability measures, both with all adults and with Latinos.
Among all adults
- Carson: +33%/-28% (Net: +5 percent)
- Rubio: +26%/-23% (Net: +3 percent)
- Clinton: +41%/-44% (Net: -3 percent)
- Cruz: +23%/-29% (Net: -6 percent)
- Bush: +22%/-40% (Net: -18 percent)
- Trump: +27%/-55% (Net: -28 percent)
Among just Latinos
- Clinton: +51%/-30% (Net: +21 percent)
- Rubio: +27%/-19% (Net: +8 percent)
- Carson: +24%/-20% (Net: +4 percent)
- Cruz: +21%/-27% (Net: -6 percent)
- Bush: +23%/-34% (Net: -11 percent)
- Trump: +17%/-67% (Net: -50 percent)
The MSNBC/Telemundo/Marist poll was conducted Nov. 15-Dec. 2 (after the Paris terrorist attacks), and it interviewed 3,121 adults (MOE: +/- 1.8%), 2,360 registered voters (MOE: +/- 2.0%), and 437 Latinos (+/- 4.7%).
