Republicans back DeSantis over Trump for 2024 nominations: Poll

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Republicans favor Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over former President Donald Trump as their 2024 presidential candidate to run against President Joe Biden by a 28 percent margin, a recent national survey by Marquette University Law School revealed on Thursday. 

Some 64 percent of Republicans prefer DeSantis, who won a reelection victory by beating his predecessor Charlie Crist last November, over former President Trump, who lost his bid for reelection by Biden in 2020, a press release on the poll said.  

Read: Republicans prefer DeSantis over Trump for President

Republican voters also showed confidence by a more than two-to-one margin of 66 percent to 32 percent that US House Republicans are able to successfully unite behind their new Speaker Kevin McCarthy to rule effectively, the release added.  

Many Americans do not yet know McCarthy well, as 39 percent say they do not yet have an opinion of him; he is only viewed favorably by 19 percent so far and unfavorably by 42 percent, according to the release.

In November, Republicans and independents more aligned with Republicans seemed to prefer DeSantis over former President Donald Trump, a poll showed.

The YouGov survey found that 42% of Republicans and GOP-leaning independents and Republican-leaning independents said they would prefer DeSantis over Trump to run in 2024. Only 35% said they would prefer Trump over the Florida governor.

It is worth noting that a few days ago, DeSantis blocked an advanced placement (AP) course specializing in African-American studies from high school curricula, saying it violates state law and offers no "educational value”.

Several Florida students have announced their intention to sue the state and DeSantis in response to the state's rejection of the Advanced Placement African American studies course in state schools.

DeSantis signed the "Stop WOKE" Act into law last year, restricting race-related conversations and instruction in workplaces, schools, and colleges.

The law prohibits teaching or business practices that argue members of one ethnic group are inherently racist and should feel guilty for actions committed by others in the past. In November, a federal judge in Florida issued a temporary restraining order against the act's implementation in higher education, which is still being fought in court.

The course is currently being piloted in a small number of high schools across the country, with plans to expand it to any high school that requests it in the 2024-2025 school year, according to the College Board. The official framework for the AP African American Studies course will be released on February 1 in time for Black History Month, replacing the preliminary pilot course framework.

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