Former President Donald Trump’s lead over his nearest competitor in the Republican primary field, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), has expanded four percent since August and now sits at nearly fifty points, according to a national TIPP insights poll.

The poll, published on Monday, shows that Trump has hit the 60 percent threshold for the first time in a TIPP Insights survey in 2023. His support has grown three points from August among registered Republicans and right-leaning independents, while DeSantis has fallen off one point since then and lands at eleven percent in the latest poll. 

Nine percent of respondents back entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, putting him in third place, followed by former Vice President Mike Pence with six percent. Both candidates have climbed one percent compared to August. 

From there, three percent would vote for former Gov. Nikki Haley (R-SC), while Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), former Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ), and conservative radio host Larry Elder tie at one percent apiece. No other candidates garnered a percentage point, with another eight percent unsure of whom they would back.

President Joe Biden addresses the Maui fire disaster before speaking about Bidenomics in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, August 15, 2023. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/Getty Images)

The poll also gauged who respondents think is best poised to beat President Joe Biden if he is the Democrat nominee in 2024. The majority of participants, 56 percent, think Trump has the best opportunity to win back the White House for the GOP, while 13 percent say DeSantis does. Another eight percent view Ramaswamy as the best fit to take on Biden, and five percent see Pence in that light. 

The Republican primary aspects of the poll sampled 509 registered Republicans and Republican-leaning independents between August 30 and September 1. The margin of error (MOE) is plus or minus 4.4 percentage points. 

In the Democrat primary, Biden leads the three-way race with 68 percent of support, which is up five points from August. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sits in second place as ten percent of Democrats and left-leaning independents back him, followed by Marianne Williamson at five percent. 

When the primary field is widened, Biden’s support drops dramatically, and he performs considerably worse in his quest for the Democrat nomination than Trump does in his for the GOP nomination. 

In a six-person race where all candidates have strong name identification, Biden leads with 38 percent — 30 points less than his backing in the three-person field. Former first lady Michelle Obama takes second place with nine percent, followed by Vice President Kamala Harris with seven percent.

From there, six percent would support Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and five percent would back his fellow twice-failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Kennedy earns four percent in that scenario, and twenty percent want “someone else.” 

The Democrat primary portion of the poll was also conducted between August 30 and September 1 and included 606 registered voters. The MOE is plus or minus four percentage points.