A USA Today/Suffolk University poll released Sunday revealed that around half of Republicans are willing to leave the party behind and jump ship to a Trump led third party.

The findings serve as a stark reminder to the party that President Trump is still the preeminent figure in US conservative politics.

The poll reveals that 46% of Republicans would follow Trump to a new party, with only around a quarter (26%) saying they would stay with the GOP. The remaining respondents are undecided.

The poll also found that a majority of Trump voters (54%) are more loyal to the candidate than the GOP (34%).

Only 19% said that they feel voters should ditch Trump and embrace establishment Republicans in the GOP.

The poll also found that the Democrat impeachment show trial made just 4% of Republican voters less supportive of Trump, while 42% say it made them more supportive, and 54% say it didn’t affect their support.

The poll found that Trump voters want him to run again in 2024 by a 2-1 margin, with 85% saying they would vote for him in a general election, after 76% saying they support him for the Republican nomination.

Suffolk University Political Research Center Director David Paleologos also noted that, according to the poll, there has been “a seismic shift in the landscape of trusted news sources for conservatives in the country.”

Just before Trump was elected in 2016, Fox News had a 58% trust rating among conservatives. That is now down to just 34%.

Senator Rand Paul argued against the impeachment of Donald Trump Tuesday, urging that “Democrats are about to drag our great country down into the gutter of rancor and vitriol the likes of which has never been seen in our nation’s history.”

Paul proclaimed that Democrats are “angry, unhinged partisans, deranged by their hatred of the former president.”

“Shame on those who seek blame and revenge, and who choose to pervert a constitutional process while doing so,” Paul said on the Senate floor, adding “I want this body on record — every last person here.”

“It’s almost as if they have no ability to exist except in opposition to Donald Trump” Paul declared, explaining that they are more guilty of ‘incitement’ than Trump could be.

Watch:

“No Democrat will honestly ask whether Bernie Sanders incited the shooter that nearly killed Steve Scalise,” Paul said, adding “No Democrat will ask whether Maxine Waters incited violence when she literally told her supporters to confront Trump officials in public.”

Paul further stated that while he voted against challenging the electoral college certification of the election, it is beyond the pale to attempt to cancel lawmakers who did.

“I disagreed. I don’t think Congress should overturn the Electoral College but impeaching or censoring, or expelling a member of Congress you disagree with? Is the truth so narrow that only you know the truth?” the Senator noted, in a reference to voter fraud.

Paul’s speech was part of an effort by the Senator to force a vote on the constitutionality of the impeachment trial.

When all was said and done, 45 Republicans voted with Paul, against the impeachment trial.

This means that 5 Republicans in the Senate side with Democrats on the impeachment. Those Senators are Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania.

Say their names.

Senator Paul noted that given that at least 17 Republicans would have to vote with Democrats, the vote “shows that impeachment is dead on arrival.”

“If you voted that it was unconstitutional then how in the world would you ever hope to convict somebody for this?” Paul asked, adding ,”45 of us, almost the entire caucus, 95% of the caucus, voted that the whole proceeding was unconstitutional.”

“This is a big victory for us. Democrats can beat this partisan horse as long as they want — this vote indicates it’s over, the trial is all over,” Paul declared.

A Report in the Wall Street Journal claims that President Trump is considering starting his own political party and calling it the ‘Patriot Party’.

The Journal claims that Trump has discussed the idea with aides, who leaked the details.

Trump is said to be thinking about ditching the Republican party, following what he believes is a lack of support from GOP leaders including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Reports have also claimed that members of Trump’s own cabinet, including VP Mike Pence, are choosing to attend Joe Biden’s inauguration over Trump’s scheduled military-style send off event later today at Joint Base Andrews.

In his farewell address, Trump told supporters that the “movement we started is just beginning.”

“Together with millions of hardworking patriots across this land, we built the greatest political movement in the history of our country,” he added.

Trump also said that he was proud of being the first President in decades not to start any war:

TRUMP: "I am especially proud to be the first president in decades who has started no new wars." pic.twitter.com/dlxyTwZDXp

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) January 19, 2021

Trump further noted that his administration “obliterated the ISIS caliphate and ended the wretched life of its founder and leader, al Baghdadi.”

He also stated that “We stood up to the oppressive Iranian regime and killed the world’s top terrorist, Iranian butcher Qasem Soleimani.”

For the most part, Trump focused on his America first policy, noting that “What has always allowed America to prevail and triumph over the great challenges of the past has been an unyielding and unashamed conviction in the nobility of our country and its unique purpose in history. We must never lose this conviction.”

“We must never forsake our belief in America,” he added.

The President issued a stark warning that free speech is under attack.

“At the center of [American] heritage is also a robust belief in free expression, free speech, and open debate,” Trump explained, adding “Only if we forget who we are, and how we got here, could we ever allow political censorship and blacklisting to take place in America. It’s not even thinkable. Shutting down free and open debate violates our core values and most enduring traditions.”

He continued “In America, we don’t insist on absolute conformity or enforce rigid orthodoxies and punitive speech codes. We just don’t do that. America is not a timid nation of tame souls who need to be sheltered and protected from those with whom we disagree. That’s not who we are. It will never be who we are.”

Watch the full address: