In the unfolding political drama for the Republican presidential nomination, former President Donald Trump remains a dominant figure, overshadowing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, as recent polling data reveals.
Despite opting out of the party’s inaugural debate, Trump’s stronghold within the Republican base remains unshaken, Reuters reports.
The poll carried out by Reuters highlighted that while the debate made half of its Republican viewers more receptive to DeSantis, he still lags significantly with a mere 13% endorsement. Trump, on the other hand, continues to rally a robust 52% of the Republican respondents behind him.
The Milwaukee debate stage saw DeSantis alongside seven other Republican aspirants.
Concurrently, Trump chose a different path, sharing a pre-recorded interview with conservative voice Tucker Carlson on X. This move was perceived as an attempt to divert attention from the debate. Trump’s rationale was his commanding lead, a sentiment echoed by the poll’s outcome.
While DeSantis was a focal point during the debate, he found himself outshone by tech magnate Vivek Ramaswamy and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. Post-debate sentiments revealed a surge in Republican interest towards DeSantis, with approximately half of the respondents leaning in his favor.
Ramaswamy and Haley also experienced a boost, but their overall endorsement remained stagnant at 5% and 4%, respectively.
Former Vice President Mike Pence secured endorsements from 6% of the Republicans. However, a mere fifth of those who tuned into the debate expressed heightened interest in his candidacy.
Interestingly, a significant 59% of the Republicans surveyed had some exposure to the debate, either through live viewing, clips, or subsequent news coverage.
In a hypothetical electoral face-off, respondents were asked to choose between President Joe Biden and Trump. Trump emerged ahead with 38% support, while Biden trailed at 32%.
Notably, Trump’s recent legal entanglements, including his booking on multiple felony charges in Atlanta, seemed to have little impact on his base’s loyalty.
Produced in association with Benzinga
