Donald Trump Looks In Trouble According to Recent Polls. Could He Slowly Be Losing Support in the GOP? Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is increasingly looking like the GOP candidate to beat for the party’s nomination in 2024.
(Subscribe to Our YouTube Channel Here. 19FortyFive publishes original videos every day.)
According to a new poll of North Carolina Republicans conducted by Differentiators Data, DeSantis is closing in on majority support with 47 percent of support.
By contrast, former President Donald Trump, who is now the only Republican to date to officially announce a 2024 White House run, has 35 percent support.
Other names, which include former United Nations (UN) Ambassador Nikki Haley, who was also the governor of neighboring South Carolina, drew just 4 percent; while former Vice President Mike Pence and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo each drew 2 percent.
The numbers for the Sunshine State governor look even better in New Hampshire, where DeSantis holds a double-digit lead over Trump in a poll from the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, which was released two days before the former president headed to the Granite State to give a keynote address at the state Republican Party’s annual meeting. Support for DeSantis stands at 42 percent compared to Trump at 30 percent.
The numbers look even better for DeSantis and worse for Trump in Iowa, where residents of the Hawkeye State were seen to favor the governor, who has as much as a 20-point lead – despite his admission last year he’s never been there. That is certainly likely to change if and when DeSantis officially enters the race.
DeSantis doesn’t maintain an advantage everywhere, however. He and Trump could both have a harder fight for South Carolina, as it is home not only to Haley, but also Senator Tim Scott, another Republican who may possibly enter the race.
Donald Trump vs. the Rest: Policy Will Matter
Where Ron DeSantis may have an advantage over Donald Trump, Haley, Pence, and Pompeo is that he is actually a sitting lawmaker whose policies are increasingly popular with his conservative base.
This week he outlined a sweeping criminal justice proposal that he introduced at the offices of the Miami Police Benevolent Association. He also recently addressed the Florida Sheriffs Association. DeSantis has called for the Sunshine State’s GOP-led Legislature to change Florida law that would allow juries to administer the death penalty by a supermajority rather than requiring unanimity.
The law could resonate even with some Democrats. The Parkland school shooter, who shot and killed 17 people, was spared the death penalty because one of the jurors voted against it.
DeSantis stated, “I don’t think justice was served.”
He also called upon lawmakers to crack down on colorful fentanyl pills – the so-called “rainbow fentanyl” that resembles candy – and has championed increased mandatory minimum sentences for fentanyl trafficking.
This week, DeSantis has faced backlash for rejecting African American studies in Florida’s schools, including from the NAACP. However, the move has earned praise from conservatives – and it is a sign that DeSantis won’t be a populist candidate should he run. But today, it is about securing the base and winning the hearts of independents, and he could be well on his way already.
More: Should Joe Biden Quit?
More: How to Save Joe Biden?
More: Nikki Haley for President? Nope.
Author Experience and Expertise: A Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.
