The Republican field of 2024 presidential contenders continues to remain in flux, according to a new survey. According to a recent poll conducted by Echelon Insights, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy is catching up with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the latter of whom is currently in second place.
The 45th president secured 49 percent of support from a sample size of over 1,000 likely voters across the nation, with DeSantis trailing far behind in second place with only 16 percent. Ramaswamy saw a slight increase in his support, earning him third place with 10 percent among the respondents.
Delving deeper into the survey, respondents were presented with the choice between supporting the Republican or Democratic presidential nominee. Among definite and likely voters, the Republican candidate received 44 percent of support, while the Democratic candidate earned 46 percent.
Interestingly, 59 percent of respondents expressed their preference for President Joe Biden not to seek a second term. In a direct face-off, Trump falls slightly behind Biden, trailing by one percentage point (44 to 45 percent), which falls well within the poll’s margin of error of 3.9 percent.
Other recent polls have also shown a clear lead for the former president over the incumbent president, who is facing numerous challenges.
As dissatisfaction with Biden grows among voters, hard-working candidates like Ramaswamy have the potential to disrupt the Republican primary, which will inevitably require GOP voters opposed to Trump to rally behind a single alternative candidate.
DeSantis, once considered that possibility, faced setbacks with a campaign rollout on Twitter marred by glitches and the loss of endorsements from Florida’s Republican congressional delegation, among other challenges.
Ramaswamy gained media attention during Trump’s recent indictment and court appearance in Miami last month by organizing a press conference outside the courthouse. During the conference, he called on all Republican presidential contenders to join him in pledging to pardon the former president if he were to be convicted on charges brought forth by the Biden administration.
Last month, DeSantis vowed to take on what he sees as a corrupted two-tier justice system in the wake of the indictment against Trump over allegations he mishandled classified documents, should the Florida governor win the White House.
In a tweet, DeSantis ripped the “weaponization” of “federal law enforcement” and added that it has become a “threat” to the country and appeared to come to Trump’s defense.
“The weaponization of federal law enforcement represents a mortal threat to a free society. We have for years witnessed an uneven application of the law depending upon political affiliation. Why so zealous in pursuing Trump yet so passive about Hillary or Hunter? The DeSantis administration will bring accountability to the DOJ, excise political bias and end weaponization once and for all,” DeSantis tweeted.
Another GOP presidential hopeful, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, also decried the indictment, which reeks of politicization.
“One thing that makes America a city on the hill is confidence in our justice system. And today, what we see is a justice system where the scales are awaited. That seems to be the outcome of where we are today,” Scott told Fox News.
“As president of the United States, I would purge all of the injustices and impurities in our system so that every American can have confidence that they will be seen by the lady of justice with a blindfold on. That is what we need in this nation,” he added.
Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) added: “America has crossed a Rubicon. A sitting President of the United States weaponizing federal law enforcement and the justice system to attack his political opponent, a former President of the United States, reeks of third-world institutional decay. President Biden is indicting President Trump for having classified documents, which is ironic since Biden had similar documents strewn about his garage in Delaware, among other places, before he became president.”