Some Republicans Are Distancing Themselves From MAGA

Tuesday marks five years since the January 6 unrest of 2021, when self-proclaimed MAGA supporters entered the Capitol.

Now, with Donald Trump back in the White House and entering the second year of his second term in office, a recent poll by NBC News Decision Desk shows signs that his strong support base has started to splinter.

As Statista’s Anna Fleck details below, the share of self-identified MAGA (Make America Great Again) supporters ticked down seven percentage points between April and December in 2025, from 57 percent of Republicans to 50 percent.

This loss was mirrored by the increase of seven percentage points among self-identified traditional Republican party members, which rose from 53 percent to 50 percent.

You will find more infographics at Statista

The shift indicates there had been a distancing of some members of the party from Trump within that timeframe, while the subsection maintained party values.

Meanwhile, the share of Republican voters who said they strongly approved of Trump’s actions ticked down.

Among traditional Republicans, strong approval ticked down from 38 to 35 percent, while among MAGA supporters, strong approval dropped to 70 percent from 78 percent – still a strong majority.

Over the eight months between the two survey waves, the Trump administration has had to contend with the resurgence of the Epstein files as well as growing criticism over his handling of the economy and trade, in a country where concerns over the cost of living are high.

As of the December poll, overall approval stood at 42 percent, with overall “strong approval” at 21 percent.

It remains to be seen how the capture of deposed president Nicolas Maduro will affect Trump’s ratings.

Reuters reports that among MAGA supporters, the move has so far been largely praised.