As the field of Republican presidential candidates continues to grow, so does former President Donald Trump’s lead in early primary states
According to a Wednesday report, Trump’s lead in South Carolina has expanded, with more than four in 10 GOP voters preferring him over the rest of the field.
The National Public Affairs poll released Wednesday shows that 41 percent of the 809 respondents back Trump for the GOP presidential nomination, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis his next-closest rival at 18 percent.
They are followed by former South Carolina governor and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley at 12 percent and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina at 10 percent.
Breitbart News noted further: “For reference, a May survey from the pollster showed Trump at 38 percent and DeSantis at 23 percent, marking an eight-point swing Trump’s way in a month’s time. Moreover, that poll was conducted before DeSantis’s campaign launch. Notably, the poll does not include declared candidates radio host Larry Elder, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, or businessman Perry Johnson, and it was conducted prior to former Rep. Will Hurd’s (R-TX) entrance into the field earlier this week.”
Trump holds a commanding lead with independent voters at 28 percent, blowing by his competitors with a significant margin. Following behind are Haley with 16 percent, DeSantis with 13 percent, Scott with 12 percent, and Christie with 11 percent respectively.
According to a polling memo, Trump currently enjoys substantial leads in two counties, Charleston and Richmond, both of which were won by Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla). in 2016. Additionally, Trump’s lead in Greenville County is now at 26 percent, a notable increase considering he only secured a two percent margin over Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in that same county seven years ago.
Despite Trump’s popularity, the poll revealed that 35 percent of respondents say they are considering not voting for him or most definitely will not. Similarly, 32 percent and 35 percent hold the same sentiment towards DeSantis and Haley, respectively, indicating a ten percent increase compared to the previous month.
Pence and Christie face the most significant challenges in this regard, with 55 percent stating that they are either not considering or will certainly not vote for the former vice president. As for Christie, two out of three voters adopted a similar approach, according to the survey’s results.
Trump may be continuing to face legal challenges in New York, his home state of Florida, and Georgia, but those cases do not seem to have hurt him politically, according to a significant new 2024 presidential poll released earlier this month.
In fact, a perception that he’s being targeted politically may even be helping him ahead of a potential 2020 rematch against President Joe Biden.
According to the latest Harvard-Harris poll, there has been a notable surge in support for Trump, suggesting a potential path to victory next year if he secures the GOP nomination. The poll results indicate that Trump continues to maintain a formidable presence, despite various legal challenges, while also enjoying a substantial lead over his Democratic counterparts.
The poll reveals a remarkable surge in popularity for Trump, who garnered 47 percent approval from respondents, surpassing Biden’s approval rating of 40 percent, giving Trump a clear 7-point lead.
The survey also assessed hypothetical contests involving Trump and other prominent Democrats. The results, for instance, showed Trump with 50 percent support compared to Vice President Kamala Harris, who trailed behind at 39 percent.
As for DeSantis, the results showed him in a dead heat with Biden at 42 percent apiece, which was the same outcome as a potential DeSantis-Harris matchup.