DeSantis 23 points ahead of Trump among Republicans: Poll

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
13 Dec 2022 17:42
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Figures seem to tell a different story of popularity, indicating a weak majority for former President Trump and a bigger crowd for DeSantis.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (Ronda Churchill/Bloomberg)

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is ahead of former President Trump by 23 points among Republicans in a hypothetical GOP presidential primary, according to a poll released Tuesday.

The poll by USA Today-Suffolk University found that only 33% of Republican and Republican-leaning voters would support Trump, while 56% prefer DeSantis., confirming earlier polls.

Moreover, more than 60% said they want a nominee who will continue Trump’s policies but is not Trump, while 31% want the former President to run. “Republicans and conservative independents increasingly want Trumpism without Trump,” said David Paleologos, the director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center.

The former President became the first major candidate to jump in the race for the White House in 2024 last month, but some indicators indicate that his control over the GOP may be weakening.

He was blamed by his own party for the GOP’s disappointing performance in the midterm elections. Many of the candidates he endorsed in key races lost after defeating primary opponents who were seen as more electable but less loyal to Trump.

The poll numbers also found that Trump’s favorable rating among Republicans dropped from 75% in October to 64% in December, while his unfavorable rating has also risen from 18% to 23% in that time.

According to polls, President Biden would defeat Donald Trump by a margin of 47% to 40%. In the poll, DeSantis had a roughly 4-point advantage over Biden. Nevertheless, only 24% of GOP and GOP-leaning voters do not want DeSantis to run for president in 2024, compared to almost two-thirds of GOP and GOP-leaning voters.