Donald Trump and the Parties: Impeachment, Pandemic, Protest, and Electoral Politics in 2020

In: Presidential studies quarterly: official publication of the Center for the Study of the Presidency, Band 50, Heft 4, S. 762-795

Abstract

AbstractTo varying degrees, every postwar president has influenced opinions of, beliefs about, identification with, and voting for the president's party—just as partisanship has affected opinions of every president. During his three‐plus years in office, Donald Trump has had a stronger impact on public reaction to his party—and partisan priors have had a stronger impact on opinions of him—than any of his predecessors. This article reviews a selection of the evidence for this conclusion, considers why it pertains, and examines how attitudes toward the president and the parties have shaped and been shaped by reactions to signal events of Trump's presidency: his impeachment and acquittal, the coronavirus crisis, and the protests against racial injustice. It also considers Trump's past and prospective influence on the electoral fates of down‐ballot candidates and his longer‐term impact on the party coalitions.