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Nearly Half of GOP Staffers Aren’t Voting Same Way as Their Boss

When it comes to Donald Trump, staffers are in an awkward place

CQ Roll Call Capitol Insiders Survey.
CQ Roll Call Capitol Insiders Survey.

Republican House members and senators are split on their support for their presidential candidate, Donald Trump, and some of their staff are splitting with them.

After a series of uncomfortable events caused some GOP lawmakers to dump Trump — comments about a Hispanic judge, a disabled reporter and a female debate moderator — the “Access Hollywood” video from 2005 of the business mogul making lewd comments toward women was the final straw for many.

[Republican Drumbeat: What GOP Lawmakers Are Saying About Trump]

For those members who distanced themselves from Trump, did their staffers agree with that decision? Or, if they stuck with the party nominee, are their staffers upset with that choice?

Just under half of the Republican Capitol Hill aides who responded to the survey said they are voting for a different presidential candidate than who — or who they think — their boss is voting for, according to CQ Roll Call’s latest Capitol Insiders Survey. 

Out of 88 GOP-only staffers who answered the question, 43.2 percent said they will not vote for the same presidential nominee as their boss.

Staffers who say they were voting the same way as their boss totaled 28.4 percent. An equal number said they didn’t know.

[GOP Aides Predict Trump Loss, Control of Both House and Senate]

Of the 98 House and Senate Republican staffers who took the survey, 10 chose to skip the awkward question.

The survey was emailed on Oct. 24 and filled out by 212 aides, of whom 98 were Republicans, 110 were Democrats and four were independents. This question was only shown to Republican aides.

Staff members had until Oct. 31 to respond.

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