LOC12:03
09:03 GMT
WASHINGTON, Nov 28 (KUNA) - No other Republican presidential candidate's supporters are as vehemently anti-immigration as Donald Trump's base, and the majority of them are white, working class Americans, a survey has found.
The Public Religion Research Institute's latest American Values Survey, released earlier this month, observed how the billionaire real estate mogul "has surprised many pundits with his enduring appeal during the early stages of the GOP primary" and examined "what animates" his fans.
Trump remains the frontrunner among his party's contenders for the White House, holding on to 25 percent support among the voters that will participate in the Iowa caucuses in February, Tuesday's Quinnipiac University poll showed.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz is a close second at 23 percent, while neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who threatened Trump's lead last month, fell to 18 percent.
Both are against a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants already in the US, and they are against accepting Syrian immigrants, citing the potential of compromised national security.
When it comes to Trump - who shares those views - the American Values Survey reported that immigration is considered a "critical" issue to 69 percent of his voters.
"On no issue do Trump supporters differ more from those supporting other Republican candidates than on the issue of immigration," the survey said.
"They're overwhelmingly more likely to have negative views of immigrants," it added.
About 80 percent of Trump voters say immigrants "are a burden to the US because they take American jobs, housing, and health care," the survey affirmed.
Only 56 percent of voters for other Republican candidates feel this way, it said.
Trump's 55 percent white, working class base also mostly believe in "reverse discrimination", the survey showed.
"Roughly three-quarters of Trump supporters' agree that, today, discrimination against whites has become as big a problem as discrimination against blacks and other minorities," it said. (end)
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