Former President Donald Trump has the highest favorability in the Republican primary field, roughly two weeks after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s official entrance into the presidential race, this week’s Morning Consult survey found.
The survey, which found Trump continuing to lead the pack by 34 points, also examined the favorability of candidates and potential challengers.
Trump has the highest rating among potential Republican primary voters, as 75 percent have a favorable view of the former president, compared to 23 percent who have an unfavorable view.
DeSantis comes seven points behind, with 68 percent viewing him favorably. This figure is consistent with the percentage he saw in March. However, the percentage who view him unfavorably is on the rise. In March, 13 percent had an unfavorable view of DeSantis. That figure has now jumped six points, to 19 percent. Further, five percent now say they have never heard of him.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis flashes a thumbs-up following an address at a New Hampshire Republican Party dinner, Friday, April 14, 2023, in Manchester, N.H. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Despite 57 percent viewing former Vice President Mike Pence favorably, he has the largest percentage of unfavorable views, as nearly one-third, 32 percent, view him unfavorably.
Vice President Mike Pence waves to the crowd as he arrives at a rally in support of Sen. David Purdue (R-GA) and Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) on December 10, 2020, in Augusta, Georgia. The “Defend the Majority” rally comes ahead of a January 5th runoff election for Purdue who is facing Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff. Loeffler was unable to attend the event (Photo by Jessica McGowan/Getty Images).
Meanwhile, 50 percent view former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley favorably, compared to 15 percent who do not. Haley, Sen. Tim Scott, and anti-woke businessman Vivek Ramaswamy appear to suffer from a lack of name recognition, as 19 percent, 23 percent, and 29 percent said they have never heard of them, in that order.
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley pumps her fist during a campaign gathering, Wednesday, May 24, 2023, in Bedford, N.H. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Vivek Ramaswamy speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2023, Friday, March 3, 2023, at National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md. (Alex Brandon/AP)
That portion of the survey was taken June 1-4, 2023, among 823 potential GOP primary voters. It has a +/- 4 percent margin of error. The results follow an Economist/YouGov survey released in late May, which found Trump’s net favorability rating reaching an all-time high.
As Breitbart News reported:
According to data from this particular survey, Trump’s net favorability has increased significantly since December — shortly after the official launch of his 2024 presidential bid.
In December, for example, Trump’s favorability was underwater among registered voters, as 41 percent viewed him at least somewhat favorably, compared to 55 percent who did not — a net of -14. He showed a slight improvement in March, reducing his net approval to -8. The following month, it shrank even more, to -3.
The latest results show Trump now breaking even in this survey, with 49 percent of registered voters viewing him at least somewhat favorably and 49 percent viewing him at least somewhat unfavorably — a 14-point swing over the last few months.
On Monday, Trump weighed in on the current state of the race and blasted some of his challengers who have criticized him.
“Many say don’t ‘punch down’ when talking about people like Chris Sununu, ‘Sloppy’ Chris Christie, ‘Aida’ Hutchinson, or others, but sometimes it’s necessary to talk badly about those that, for no reason other than politics, speak badly about you,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“You have to put them in proper perspective, you have to put them in their place!” he added.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie launched his 2024 presidential campaign Tuesday.