New low

Tea party support drops to new low

By Nick Gass

Nearly five years after Republicans reclaimed control of the House with the help of the nascent tea party movement, support for the group has dropped to its lowest level ever, according to the results of a new national Gallup poll released Monday. And fewer Americans are taking sides on the movement than even before.

Just 17 percent of adults said they are currently tea party supporters, compared with 32 percent in November 2010, the peak of support. Opposition to the tea party stands at 24 percent, down from the high of 31 percent last year. But a record 54 percent said they are neither supporters nor opponents.

Support for the conservative political movement has not topped 25 percent since August 2012, three months before President Barack Obama's reelection.

Among subgroups, support dropped most dramatically among independents leaning Republican, dropping from 52 percent in 2010 to 23 percent in the two most recent polls from 2014 and 2015. Among conservative Republicans, support dropped 21 points, 63 percent to 42 percent.

The poll was conducted Oct. 7-11, surveying 1,015 adults nationwide via landlines and cellphones with an overall margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.