MSNBC political analyst John Heilemann on Thursday said that he's “virtually certain” that 10 percent of Republicans would say it “would be OK for Donald Trump Donald John TrumpSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Pelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Trump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance MORE to dissolve their own grandparents” if they were asked the question in a poll.

Heilemann made the assertion during a segment discussing a recent Ipsos poll that showed 43 percent of Republicans saying “the president should have the authority to close news outlets engaged in bad behavior.”

“I would like a pollster ask this question,” Heilemann said. “How many people in the Republican Party think that it would be OK for Donald Trump to dissolve their own grandparents? I’m virtually certain that if it was a Donald Trump–related question, you'll get like 10 percent that would be like ‘Donald Trump has the power to do whatever he wants, including kill my parents.’ ”

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The “Game Change” co-author went on to say that he thinks many Trump supporters think that the media is trying to test their loyalty, so they will say yes to “anything” in support of the president.

“I think it’s kind of a test,” Heilemann, a frequent Trump critic, said. “There are certain things, there are some people ... that they just hear the question as ‘the media is trying to test my loyalty to Donald Trump.’ And if it’s the question whether Trump has the authority to do anything, they will say yes no matter what that thing is.”

Trump's party loyalty remains at historic highs, with 87 percent of those identifying as Republican saying they are loyal to Trump in a recent Gallup poll. Only George W. Bush enjoyed a higher party loyalty rating, which was at 98 percent after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Another poll from Quinnipiac last week showed a majority of Republicans agreeing with the president's charge that the news media is “the enemy of the American people.”

The poll revealed a deep partisan divide on the issue, with 51 percent of Republicans surveyed agreeing with Trump's frequent line rather than viewing the media as an important component of a democracy, while just 5 percent of Democratic and 24 percent of independent respondents felt the same way.

Trump's frequent attacks on the media have regularly drawn scrutiny with other top administration officials, including White House counselor Kellyanne Conway Kellyanne Elizabeth ConwaySpecial counsel investigating DeVos for potential Hatch Act violation: report George and Kellyanne Conway honor Ginsburg Trump carries on with rally, unaware of Ginsburg's death MORE and senior adviser Ivanka Trump Ivana (Ivanka) Marie TrumpThe Hill's 12:30 Report: Trump stokes fears over November election outcome Special counsel investigating DeVos for potential Hatch Act violation: report Trump, Biden vie for Minnesota MORE, stating that they don't believe the press is the enemy of the people.

The president responded on Aug. 2, after his elder daughter's comment, by stating “fake news,” which is a “large percentage of the media,” is the enemy of the people.

They asked my daughter Ivanka whether or not the media is the enemy of the people. She correctly said no. It is the FAKE NEWS, which is a large percentage of the media, that is the enemy of the people! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 2, 2018

Hundreds of news outlets joined a nationwide effort on Thursday to publish editorial pieces pushing back on the president's attacks.