Former President Donald Trump has surged ahead in the national race among potential 2024 GOP White House candidates, widening his lead over Florida Governor Ron DeSantis by 34 points, according to Tuesday’s latest CNN primary poll. Meanwhile, a Wall Street Journal poll shows President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump locked in a “dead heat.”
Among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents registered to vote, 52 percent preferred Trump as the favored nominee, whereas only 18 percent showed the same inclination for DeSantis.
The poll, conducted from August 25th to 31st, reveals a significant shift from the prior poll conducted between June 13th and 17th, which had indicated a 21 percentage point disparity between the two contenders. A preceding survey from May 17th to 20th exhibited a 27-point gap between the frontrunner and his closest national rival. Meanwhile, an earlier poll between March 8th and 12th showcased a mere 4-point separation.
Throughout the four CNN polls conducted since March, DeSantis has encountered a consistent decline in support. His backing stood at 36 percent in March, dropped to 26 percent in May and June, and now registers at 18 percent in the most recent August polls.
In the most recent survey, only 19 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents expressed an unwillingness to support Trump under any circumstances, marking a decrease from June’s figure of 23 percent. Regarding DeSantis, the August poll showed that 22 percent of respondents would not support him regardless of circumstances, a proportion similar to the 21 percent recorded in June.
When assessing the likelihood of Trump securing the GOP nomination, only 11 percent responded with “not too likely” or “not likely at all.” In contrast, 60 percent indicated either “extremely likely” or “very likely,” while 29 percent opted for “somewhat likely.”
Conducted by SSRS through both the web and via telephone, the most recent poll surveyed 1,503 participants, including an oversample of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, totaling 898 respondents, out of which 784 were registered to vote with a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.
A recent Wall Street Journal poll shows Trump and Biden neck-and-neck in a hypothetical 2020 election rematch. Both candidates garnered the support of 46 percent of respondents.
ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos labeled this outcome “shocking.” This poll also showed Trump commanding a substantial lead over his GOP rivals, with 59 percent of respondents favoring him. Ron DeSantis trailed behind as a distant second with 13 percent, while Nikki Haley garnered 8 percent, closely followed by political newcomer Vivek Ramaswamy with 5 percent.
Stephanopoulos, who has a background as Bill Clinton’s communications director and senior advisor, remarked on the poll findings. Despite the 91 criminal charges filed against Trump, Stephanopoulos noted that his political influence remains unshaken, and he appears to be solidifying his control over the Republican Party. The anchor also pointed out the unanimous support Trump received from Republicans during a recent debate, even in light of his legal challenges.