Inside the Beltway: ‘It’s important to be loyal’ to Trump

NEWS AND OPINION:

Republicans have resolute views on both political issues and their loyalty to former President Donald Trump, according to a new CBS News poll. Consider that two-thirds of the respondents — 67% — say they do not consider President Biden the “legitimate winner” of the 2020 presidential election.

They haven’t forgotten the 45th president either.

Among the numbers: 68% say it’s important for Republican officials to “support claims of election fraud” in the 2020 presidential election, while 66% also agree that “it’s important to be loyal to Donald Trump.” In addition, 65% say that Mr. Trump generally represents their views all or most of the time; 27% say he represents those views some of the time.

“Republicans say that Mr. Trump himself represents their views just as well as they think the party does; it’s a personal connection to him we’ve seen for years. Today, loyalty also means they specifically want the party to follow more of the former president’s examples across a range of items, including economics, issues of race and immigration, how to treat the media, using power and leadership, generally,” the poll analysis said.

Hefty majorities continue to believe that Republicans should follow Mr. Trump’s examples of leadership and “use of power.” A soaring 89% said that the Republican Party should follow Mr. Trump’s take on economic issues; 88% said the same about his immigration policy, while 77% agreed with Mr. Trump’s methods of “how to treat the media.”

And speaking of the press, 84% of the GOPers also say media reports on Republicans are “unfair” — an opinion which hits 90% among conservative Republicans.

In addition, 87% of Republicans are aware that the Republican Party recently ousted Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming from her leadership post in the House. Of that number, 80% agreed with Ms. Cheney’s removal.

“They feel she was off-message, unsupportive of Mr. Trump, and that she’s wrong about the 2020 presidential election. To a third of them, and most particularly for those who place the highest importance on loyalty, Cheney’s removal also shows that ‘disloyalty will be punished,’” the analysis said.

The CBS News survey of 951 self-identified Republicans was conducted by YouGov May 12-14 and released Wednesday.

NOW THERE’S A THOUGHT

“Republicans in the House and Senate should not approve the Democrat trap of the January 6 Commission. It is just more partisan unfairness and unless the murders, riots, and fire bombings in Portland, Minneapolis, Seattle, Chicago, and New York are also going to be studied, this discussion should be ended immediately,” former President Donald Trump notes in a new memo from his official website.

“Republicans must get much tougher and much smarter, and stop being used by the Radical Left,” he advises.

A BORDER PATROL AGENT HAS A SAY

A new Reuters analysis of the humanitarian crisis at the southern border reveals that discontent among U.S. Border Patrol agents is so great that some are now considering leaving their posts before retirement age.

“Rosemarie Pepperdine, a border patrol agent working in Casa Grande, Arizona, is one of those who said she was considering taking early retirement,” the Reuters report said.

“We have so many people coming across, and then we’re out there killing ourselves to catch them, rescue them or whatever it is, and then they’re being released,” Ms. Pepperdine advised the news organization.

“Why even bother?” she asked.

DAYS OF YORE

In 1958, Dwight D. Eisenhower was the president and 73% of U.S. adults — including 79% of Republicans and 71% of Democrats — said they trusted the federal government “to do what is right” almost always or most of the time. 

In 2021, 24% of Americans overall say they trust the government. That includes 9% of Republicans and 36% of Democrats now say they trust the government. So says the Pew Research Center, which has polled the people and tracked the trends over the years.

What should the government provide the people? Perceptions on that differ as well. See the Poll du Jour at column’s end for some examples.

ONE FOR THE GHOST ARMY

Let us pause and salute the “Ghost Army” — the clandestine World War II-era military units that deployed illusions and trickery to fool the Nazis and save some 30,000 lives — are on track to receive the Congressional Gold Medal for their inventive heroism.

The House has voted overwhelmingly to pass H.R. 707 — the bipartisan bill which would clear the way for the award. The legislation was first submitted in 2015, introduced by Reps. Annie Kuster, New Hampshire Democrat, and Chris Stewart, Utah Republican. 

Companion legislation also has been introduced in the Senate.

The Ghost Army used inflatable tanks, sound effects, dummy parachutists, radio trickery and impersonation to fool and divert the enemy away from advancing U.S. troops. Their activities were classified as top secret until 1996.

But ladies and gentlemen of Capitol Hill, let’s not dilly dally, please.

“Now we turn to the Senate, where the Gold Medal legislation, S. 1404, already has 16 co-sponsors, but needs 51 more to be considered. There are only 11 surviving veterans of The Ghost Army, and we want to get this passed and signed into law while they are still with us,” says Rick Beyer, president of the citizen nonprofit group “Ghost Army Legacy Project,” a nonprofit organization, found at GhostArmyLegacyProject.org.

POLL DU JOUR

⦁ 79% of U.S. adults say the federal government should provide high-quality K-12 education; 64% of Republicans and 91% of Democrats agree.

⦁ 64% overall say the government should provide health insurance; 33% of Republicans, and 88% of Democrats agree.

⦁ 58% overall say the government should provide adequate income in retirement; 40% of Republicans and 71% of Democrats agree.

⦁ 56% say it should provide an adequate standard of living; 32% of Republicans and 76% of Democrats agree.

⦁ 39% say it should provide a college education; 19% of Republicans and 55% of Democrats agree.

Source: A PEW RESEARCH CENTER SURVEY of 5,109 U.S. ADULTS, CONDUCTED APRIL 5-11 AND RELEASED MONDAY.

⦁ Helpful information to jharper@washingtontimes.com.