A Vanderbilt University poll that measured Tennesseans’ sentiments on abortion, among other political issues, found that Republicans who identify more closely with former President Donald Trump are more pro-life than Republicans who do not.
Vanderbilt Poll Co-Director Josh Clinton explained the distinction between the pollsters term “MAGA Republicans” and other Republicans.
“Since the fall 2022 poll, we have asked respondents who label themselves as Republican if they identify more with the Republican Party or the MAGA movement,” he said. “That divide between MAGA and non-MAGA Republicans often illuminates significant differences, even within largely conservative labels such as ‘pro-life.’”
According to the poll, 78 percent of Trump-supporting Republicans consider themselves to be pro-life, while only 69 percent of other Republicans consider themselves to be pro-life.
The poll of 1,003 registered Tennessee voters was conducted between April 26 and May 9, 2024.
Trump has faced backlash from both sides of the political aisle for his stance on abortion, with some Republicans saying he’s not strong enough on the issue. In April, when Trump announced that he supported abortion exceptions for rape and incest, he was criticized by some Republican foes.
Other Republicans feel the opposite that Trump celebrating the reversal of Roe v. Wade is too extreme.
The poll also measured the sentiments of Democrats and independents on the issue of abortion, finding that 93 percent of Democrats and 54 percent of independents consider themselves pro-abortion.
Overall, 52 percent of registered voters who took part in the survey considered themselves “definitely” or “somewhat” pro-abortion, a jump from 48 percent in the last poll conducted.
According to the poll, women support abortion at a rate of 20 percent more than men, and although Trump is poised to win Tennessee, Clinton said he thinks abortion could be an issue for him in swing states.
“While there is no reason to doubt that Trump will win the solid Republican state of Tennessee regardless of what happens in the current trials based on the latest Vanderbilt Poll, what seems more important is how the gender differences we are finding in Tennessee may impact the presidential race in swing states such as Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania – where large differences in policy views between men and women could be more decisive,” he said.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter/X.
Photo “Trump Supporters” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0.
