Donald Trump keeps the lead in the latest tracking poll: According to the Morning Consult, Trump has 55 percent support in the Republican contest, compared to 20 percent for Ron DeSantis
Donald Trump vs. Joe Biden? It Looks That Way…
Donald Trump still has a big lead in the Republican nomination contest, albeit not the biggest lead he has had, at least according to one new poll.
However, the poll was taken before the latest news of a potential indictment of the former president, which has tended to help him in the past.
According to the Morning Consult tracking poll, released Tuesday, Trump leads the Republican race with 55 percent support, compared to 20 percent for Gov. Ron DeSantis. Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, for the second straight week, is in third place with 8 percent, followed by former Vice President Mike Pence with 7 percent.
Former Ambassador Nikki Haley is in fifth place with 4 percent, followed by Sen. Tim Scott with 3 percent and former Gov. Chris Christie with 2 percent. Several candidates — former Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Gov. Doug Burgum, Mayor Francis Suarez, and former Rep. Will Hurd — are listed at zero percent.
“Most potential GOP primary voters (55%) support Trump, giving him a 35-percentage point lead over DeSantis, his closest contending rival. Trump’s lead remains formidable, but his backing has softened slightly since late June as DeSantis and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy have seen small upticks in support,” the release of the tracking poll said.
When it comes to hypothetical general election matchups, President Biden leads Trump 43 percent to 41 percent, with 11 percent choosing “someone else” and 5 percent answering “don’t know” about their choice. Biden also posts 43 percent against DeSantis, while the Florida governor has 39 percent support, followed by 11 percent for “someone else” and 7 percent for “don’t know.”
“These numbers may be best considered as a test of electability — a key issue in party primaries that carries all the more significance this time around given concerns about Trump’s baggage and whether the GOP should work to maintain Trump’s coalition or to try to expand its base,” Morning Consult said.
The poll was taken before Trump’s announcement Tuesday that he has received a target letter from Special Counsel Jack Smith, indicating that he is likely to be indicted for his role in efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Indictments, in the past, have improved Trump’s standing with Republican voters.
Per the New York Times, the letter cites three statutes under which Trump could be charged. These include Corruptly Obstructing an Official Proceeding, Conspiring to Defraud the Government and to Make False Statements, and Wire and Mail Fraud. It is not certain that Trump will be charged under those statutes.
“By leading the effort to procure fraudulent electoral certificates across the nation, Trump helmed a conspiracy to defraud the U.S.,” Norman Eisen, a former staffer for the House Judiciary Committee, told the Times. “And by using those false documents to press Mike Pence to disrupt the Jan. 6 meeting of Congress, Trump attempted to obstruct an official proceeding.”
Speaking to CNN’s Jake Tapper this week, in a rare interview with a mainstream media outlet, DeSantis tried once again to walk the fine line between arguing against the man he’s running against, and going along with the belief of much of the Republican base that Trump has done nothing wrong.
DeSantis said Tuesday that Trump “could’ve come out more forcefully” against violence on January 6, but later told Tapper that “I don’t think it serves us good to have a presidential election focused on what happened four years ago in January.”
“I wanna focus on looking forward. I don’t wanna look back,” the Florida governor told CNN Tuesday. “I do not wanna see him – I hope he doesn’t get charged. I don’t think it’ll be good for the country. But at the same time I’ve gotta focus on looking forward, and that’s what we’re gonna do.”
Author Expertise and Experience
Stephen Silver is a Senior Editor for 19FortyFive. He is an award-winning journalist, essayist and film critic, who is also a contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. Follow him on Twitter at @StephenSilver.
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