According to former President Donald Trump, the Republican Party is his and he remains the central lodestone for any and all discussions of who might be the 2024 GOP presidential nominee.

But based on a new poll from the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, it appears many Republicans are ready to move on and give Trump a final kick to the curb as they go forward.

The AP reports:

His popularity among Republicans is declining somewhat, with 71% saying they have a favorable opinion of Trump compared with 78% in a September 2020 AP-NORC/USAFacts poll. But the new poll shows only a narrow majority of Republicans — 56% — want him to run for president in 2024. The poll found that 44% of Republicans do not want Trump to run.

44% of Republicans don’t want Trump to seek a second term. And as his legal and financial problems continue to escalate, it’s fair to assume that number will be rising considerably in the months ahead. Also, if indeed the ex-president is indicted in one of the multiple jurisdictions where he’s current under investigation, that would all but seal Trump’s fate in the GOP, because a candidate under indictment isn’t exactly who you want leading your party as you try to win back control of the White House.

There may also be damaging revelations from the House Select Committee on the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection coming in the future, and those too could spell doom for Trump’s dreams of being the 2024 Republican nominee.

Others in the party who may be eyeing a run for the presidency are also refusing to back down and clear the field for the Donald:

But his effort to freeze the field of Republicans eyeing the 2024 field has been uneven. Some, including former Vice President Mike Pence and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, have so far refused to demur, making speeches and traveling to key states that suggest they are strongly considering campaigns. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is also seen as another contender for the nomination and drew attention recently when he said that one of his biggest regrets as governor was not pushing back when Trump urged Americans to stay home in the early days of the COVID pandemic to stop the virus’s spread.

It should be fun to see how Trump reacts as polls continue to show him fading in popularity with Republicans. Who will he blame? One thing’s for sure: It won’t be his fault, because in his mind nothing ever is.

Featured Image Via NBC News