As the 2024 presidential election looms, recent polling data unveils the extent of support for former President Donald Trump's authoritarian proclivities. The Washington Post's average of polls indicates that if the election were held today, Vice President Kamala Harris would have a slight national advantage. However, the margins in swing states show consistently narrow leads. This means that if the polls are overestimating Harris's support, Trump could make a comeback and return to the White House. On the other hand, if Harris's support is underestimated, she could become the next president.

Nevertheless, a concerning aspect surfaces from new national polling conducted by PRRI. The poll reveals that about a quarter of Republicans and 1 in 7 Americans overall believe that an anti-democratic effort should be undertaken if Trump loses the election. This poses a potential threat to the democratic process, raising concerns about the possibility of subverting Harris's victory.

Another recently released poll conducted by the Associated Press, in partnership with NORC and USAFacts, explores Americans' trust in various sources when reporting the results of the presidential election. Government agencies' certified results were the most trusted source, followed by local news sources such as television and newspapers, with national news outlets ranked third. Strikingly, the candidates and their campaigns were among the least trusted sources, with Trump's campaign facing particularly low levels of trust.

However, it is noteworthy that among Republicans, Trump and his campaign emerge as the most trusted source of election information by a significant margin. This finding highlights the lack of trust in other sources, especially when compared to Democrats. It reveals a broader pattern of low levels of trust among Republicans, with Trump being perceived as the only reliable authority, reinforcing his position as the sole trustworthy figure to his supporters. This strategy of injecting skepticism and casting doubts on institutions is a key element of authoritarian leadership, which Trump has actively cultivated.

The PRRI poll dives deeper into measuring authoritarian sympathies among Americans by presenting specific questions and scenarios. They employed the "Right-Wing Authoritarianism Scale" (RWAS) and the "Child-Rearing Authoritarianism Scale" to gauge respondents' agreement with different statements. Notably, approximately 4 in 10 Americans received high scores on both scales, with Republicans scoring notably higher. Within the Republican party, three-quarters of Trump-supporting Republicans obtained high scores on the RWAS.

Moreover, the PRRI poll posed situations aimed at measuring Americans' willingness to disregard democratic processes. Alarmingly, about a quarter of Republicans expressed the belief that violent actions should be taken to "ensure the rightful leader takes office" if the 2024 election is compromised by voter fraud. The same percentage suggested that Trump should do "whatever it takes" to become president if he is not confirmed as the winner. These responses need to be considered alongside the fact that the most trusted source of election information among Republicans is Trump himself, who has persistently claimed, without evidence, that fraud cost him victory in the 2020 election.

Additional polling conducted by the Pew Research Center adds to the understanding of Trump's response to the 2020 election. Nearly half of Americans surveyed believed that Trump had broken the law in attempting to retain power, while a majority agreed that he had done something wrong. However, a majority of Trump supporters maintained that he had not done anything wrong at all. Furthermore, when evaluating the potential actions of their preferred presidential candidates, Trump supporters were more likely than Harris supporters to deem it acceptable for their candidate to engage in targeted political prosecutions, fire disloyal federal workers, or pardon friends and family accused of crimes. These positions align with Trump's own promises to fire federal officials and initiate criminal probes of political opponents.

Overall, the various polls illustrate a consistent theme: a significant portion of Republicans, particularly those who support Trump, embrace and endorse his authoritarian tendencies. This trend persists despite Trump's increasingly explicit articulation of his second-term plans, which veer more overtly toward authoritarianism. These findings raise important questions about the future of democracy and the impact of authoritarian ideologies on the American political landscape.