Trump backers want someone who will 'say or do anything,' poll says

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Scorching editorial: Trump 'unfit to be president'

Eric Shawn interviews David Haynes, editorial page editor for The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Donald Trump hasn’t played by the rules of traditional politics during the 2016 Republican primaries, and that apparently sits just fine with his supporters, who largely said they want a leader who ignores the rules, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Tuesday.

While 53 percent of all voters surveyed and 68 percent of all Republicans said they would favor “a leader who is willing to say or do anything to solve America’s problems,” that number jumps to 84 percent among Trump backers.

“I get through the rules,” Trump said Tuesday on "Fox & Friends." “I don’t want to say avoid the rules, because that sounds like a little bit of illegality.”

Trump pointed to his ability to navigate Manhattan zoning laws as he constructed huge buildings in New York City as proof he has been able to work around sometimes onerous restrictions to achieve his desired outcome.

Trump voters also had the highest agreement for the statements “Leaders don’t worry about what other people say, they follow their own path” (74 percent); “America needs a powerful political leader that will save us from the problems we face” (96 percent); “Public officials don’t care much what people like me think” (90 percent); “The government has gone too far in assisting minority groups” (80 percent); and “America has lost its identity” (85 percent).

For the statement “The old way of doing things no longer works and we need radical change,” 83 percent of Trump backers agree – outpacing even the support of Democratic firebrand Bernie Sanders (76 percent), who frequently uses the word “revolution” at his rallies.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said Tuesday morning on "Fox & Friends" that he appreciated the frustration many voters have expressed, but he believes they’re placing their trust in the wrong candidate.

“But if people want that – I hear it across the state, I hear it across the country – Ted Cruz is the obvious choice,” said Walker, a Cruz supporter, when asked about the Quinnipiac results. “Here’s a guy who just a couple years ago was elected to the United States Senate on exactly that principle. He stood up not only to the big-time liberal special interests, at times he actually stood up to his own party, even if it meant standing up by himself. Ted Cruz is the guy who actually embodies that.”

Cruz backers in the Quinnipiac poll were less likely than Trump voters to support a leader “willing to say or do anything” (56 percent) and less likely to support “radical change” (60 percent).

The Quinnipiac poll was conducted from March 16-21 and surveyed 1,451 voters nationwide via land lines and cellphones.