Poll: Most say Trump has damaged GOP's image

By Gabby Morrongiello, Gabby Morrongiello

Published December 20, 2015

A new poll shows a majority of U.S. voters claim Donald Trump's rhetoric and whirlwind success in the Republican presidential field has damaged the GOP beyond repair.

Fifty-eight percent of respondents in an MSNBC/Telemundo/Marist poll released Monday said the self-funded billionaire is "hurting" the Republican Party, while just 24 percent said he is "helping" it. An even greater number of Latino respondents, 65 percent, say Trump is damaging the party, while 16 percent of Latinos claim he's helped the GOP's image.

Within the GOP, voters are more divided, as 43 percent said Trump's helped the party, and 40 percent said he's hurt it. A majority of Republicans, 52 percent, also said the party front-runner "is the kind of leader we need in this country, but he needs to better control how he says things."

The survey severely undermines Trump's frequent claim that Hispanic voters "love" him. Sixty-five percent of Latino respondents described the brash business mogul as "insulting and offensive," and 68 percent said Trump "is not the kind of leader the country needs right now."