Former President Donald Trump is dominating the Republican primary race, leading his competitors by double digits, the latest New York Times/Siena survey found.
The latest survey examined Republicans’ preferences for the 2024 GOP presidential primary race and found Trump dominating the field with majority support. Fifty-four percent chose Trump, putting him 37 points ahead of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has fallen to the teens with 17 percent support:
That is consistent with other national surveys showing DeSantis slipping into the teens. Last week’s Morning Consult weekly tracking poll showed DeSantis falling to 16 percent, which the survey described as the Florida governor’s “weekly tracking low.”
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Three other presidential hopefuls fell 14 percent behind DeSantis — former Vice President Mike Pence, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley — all of whom garnered three percent support each.
Anti-woke businessman Vivek Ramaswamy and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie saw two percent support each, and every other candidate received below one percent.
Further, the survey found Trump with “decisive advantages across almost every demographic group and region and in every ideological wing of the party,” leading among both men and women, the suburbs and rural areas, and among different age groups. This, the Times observed, spells trouble for DeSantis, who is working to revamp his campaign after letting go of dozens of staffers.
Per the Times:
Below those lopsided top-line figures were other ominous signs for Mr. DeSantis. He performed his weakest among some of the Republican Party’s biggest and most influential constituencies. He earned only 9 percent support among voters at least 65 years old and 13 percent of those without a college degree. Republicans who described themselves as “very conservative” favored Mr. Trump by a 50-point margin, 65 percent to 15 percent.
The survey also found DeSantis struggling against Trump without additional competition, losing to the former president by 31 points in a head-to-head matchup. And it is not necessarily that all Republicans who support Trump dislike DeSantis, the survey found. They just love Trump more.
“In interviews with poll respondents, a recurring theme emerged. They like Mr. DeSantis; they love Mr. Trump,” the Times article reads, citing quotes from some respondents.
“DeSantis, I have high hopes. But as long as Trump’s there, Trump’s the man,” a Bumpass, Virginia, resident said, as others observed DeSantis as their second choice if Trump were not in the mix.
“Trump has proven his clout,” Polk County resident Mallory Butler said. “And DeSantis has, but in a much smaller arena.”
As Trump continues to dominate in the polls, it remains unclear if he will participate in the first debate taking place August 23, as he has been rumored to be considering alternate programming.
“Let them debate so I can see who I MIGHT consider for Vice President!” Trump teased Monday.
“Listen, I’m torn on it,” Donald Trump Jr. told Breitbart News in July when asked if his father should participate in the debate.
“I mean, the meme general in me wants to see it because I know he’ll do great,” he said. “At the same time, am I gonna give, you know, Asa Hutchinson polling at .01 percent, you know Chris Christie, polling at 1 percent, you know, a three-hour window to basically crap all over you?”
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