Editor’s note: In this second article of the series, Dr. Terry F. Buss, a fellow at the U.S. National Academy of Public Administration, explains why Donald Trump may receive support from both the Republican establishment and some Democratic voters in the upcoming U.S. presidential election.

>> Part 1: What politicians, American people think about Trump

Support from the Republican establishment

Since the presidential primaries began in early 2016, establishment Republicans have seen Trump as a threat to their Party, with many believing that Trump was really a Democrat, based on his policies.

Others believed that Trump’s confrontation style, crude manner, and lack of policy knowledge, and “playboy” background would embarrass the Party in the primaries and lead to a resounding defeat in the November 2016 elections.

Even so they underestimated the wrath of disaffected voters and are now stuck with Trump as the Republican Party candidate, having won the Party nomination.

The establishment spent tens of millions in attack ads to defeat Trump, tried to launch a Third Party to draw votes away from Trump even though that would mean a win for Clinton, and still intends to disrupt the Republican Party Convention in July hoping to derail Trump. Trump has become so strong that he has defeated every attempt to deny him the nomination. Unbelievably, Trump has become even stronger under attack.

Now, the same opponents of Trump in the establishment are being forced by circumstances—defeating Trump would lead to a Hillary Clinton presidency—to support him. 

The Republican National Committee has even agreed to help Trump raise the $1 billion necessary to beat Clinton. Most astonishingly, the dozens of conservative Republican-leaning newspapers, television and Internet commentators who were adamantly opposed to Trump have now come over to his side.

A vendor sells water as people wait in line to see Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Sacramento, California, U.S. June 1, 2016. Photo: Reuters

A May 2016 Gallup Poll found that 64 percent of Republicans favor Trump for president, when earlier only 20 percent were supporters.

But. just because Trump is preferred by Republicans to be president, 59 percent of registered voters opine that Trump would make a poor or terrible president. And seven in ten voters hold an unfavorable view of Trump. Why?

These voters have major issues with Obama and Clinton, and they would rather have Trump with his innumerable faults as president than endure another four or eight years of Obama should Clinton win. A favorite phrase in this election is for Trump supporters to hold their noses and vote for him.

Perhaps the most intriguing statistic from the Republic primaries is that Trump has attracted several million more voters than any other Republican candidate in history, including former president Ronald Regan, a god in the Republican Party. So Trump claims that he is bringing in new voters to the Party.

Studies show otherwise: Trump has attracted Republican voters who do not usually vote in primaries but do vote in presidential elections. So Trump detractors are praying that his support is much thinner than he thinks.

Support from Democrats

The Democratic Party once hoped that Trump would be the Republican nominee because Clinton could easily beat him in November. But things have changed. In a recent Pew poll, Trump is only behind Clinton by two percent.

Even worse, Senator Bernie Sanders, Clinton’s opponent in the Democratic primaries, is making a strong showing among voters. Many of Sanders’ voters are also alienated from politics and the Democrat Party, as are Trump’s. Some Sanders’ supporters have vowed to switch parties and vote for Trump, or just as bad have refused to vote at all.

Bear in mind that Sanders is a Socialist, not a Democrat. He will not get the Democratic Party nomination against Clinton. But imagine were his supporters to flock to Trump: can a conservative party combine with a socialist one?

Clinton continues to face huge problems with scandals plaguing her from her 25 years in politics including all kinds of corruption. She is under investigation by the FBI and Congress. She is accused, for example, of taking billions in donations for her private charitable foundation and then using the money to support her campaign staff and buy favors from others in power.

Many—according to an average of polls between five and 20 percent—of her once loyal supporters are threatening to abandon her in favor of Sanders and even Trump.

Because Sanders cannot become the Party nominee, Trump might get some anti-Clinton votes.

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