The headlines::

Almost half of Republicans would join Trump party: poll The Hill, February 21, 2021

Republicans Prefer Trump Party Over GOP By 2 To 1: Poll NBC News- Meet the Press, February 21, 2021

Relevant Background Information:

The poll in question was a survey of 1,000 Trump voters conducted by The Suffolk University-USA Today between February 15 and February 19. Forty-six percent of respondents said they would abandon the GOP and join the Trump party if the former president created one. Just 27% said they would stay with the GOP, with the remainder undecided

Comment:

Not all Republicans are Trump supporters. This past election, 93% of Republicans voted for Trump. That is a lot, but it’s pretty safe to assume that those Republicans who did not vote for Trump would not be leaving the GOP for a Trump party. If Republicans who did not vote for Trump were included in the Suffolk University-USA Today poll, the percent willing to switch to a Trump party would be closer to 43% (.93 x .46). While that’s still a lot, it would clearly be dishonest to represent 43% as “almost half”.

Also, neither 43% nor 46% is twice 27%, so it’s misleading to report that either Republicans or Trump voters would prefer a Trump party over the GOP by a 2 to 1 margin.

I did come across one headline that got it right: Trump voters prefer a 'Trump party' over the GOP. More accurate, yes, but hardly newsworthy.

Why does this matter? Because these misleading headlines appear to be part of a media campaign to destroy the Republican party*. Yes, Trump is dominating the GOP at this moment in history, but he’s an old man with no coherent political agenda. Trump will be off the political stage soon enough and I’m hoping when he’s gone, he will leave a viable political party in his place. I don’t want this country completely dominated by one party.

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* For instance, the Washington Post recently ran these opinion pieces in the span of nine days:

Opinion: Pundits are wrong. We don’t need a functional GOP February 21, 2021

Opinion: Stop trying to save the GOP. It's hopeless February 12, 2021

Opinion: The GOP is not a normal party February 8, 2021 (Excerpt: “the party is nothing more than a cult.”)