A recent Rasmussen Reports poll, it’s clear that former President Donald Trump is holding strong in the race for Republican primary voters. The poll, reported by Newsmax on Monday, November 6, 2023, reveals that Trump has the support of a significant 50 percent of likely Republican primary voters if the primary were held today.
In the same poll, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis garnered 12 percent of support, while former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley received nine percent. Trump’s dominance doesn’t stop there, as the survey also predicts that he would comfortably outperform any potential competitors in one-on-one matchups. His leads range from a substantial 46 points over DeSantis to an impressive 50 points over Haley.
These results underscore Trump’s continuing influence within the Republican Party, even though he has opted to skip debates and faces legal challenges in multiple jurisdictions. Trump has consistently led in primary polling since 2020 and has been influential in endorsing candidates during the 2022 midterm elections, where many of his supported candidates secured key victories, contributing to the party’s Congressional seat gains.
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However, not everyone within the Republican Party is entirely on board with Trump’s nomination. Some have voiced reservations due to his loss in the 2020 election, ongoing legal battles, and the 2022 midterm results, where a few Trump-backed candidates faced defeats, hampering what had been expected to be a “red wave.”
Additionally, Trump has faced criticism for his involvement in the events leading to the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, which resulted in his second impeachment and subsequent acquittal by the Senate.
Among candidates not affiliated with Trump, Ron DeSantis initially posed a significant challenge. However, his polling numbers took a hit in 2023, making the race for the nomination much more competitive. DeSantis has earned praise from some conservatives for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Florida but has also faced criticism for his opposition to mask and vaccine mandates, as well as his role in passing a contentious anti-riot law that was legally challenged.
Nikki Haley, who served as Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations from 2017 to 2018, has positioned herself as a potential bridge between Trump and anti-Trump factions within the party. She has offered support for some of Trump’s policies but has also distanced herself from him on key issues, particularly in his response to the Capitol attack and his claims of election fraud. Furthermore, Haley emphasizes her foreign policy experience and the distinction of being the first female and first Indian-American governor of South Carolina.
The Rasmussen Reports poll, which gathered responses between October 26-31 and November 1-2, 2023, involved 1,344 likely Republican primary voters. The margin of sampling error stands at +/- 3 percentage points, with a 95 percent level of confidence.
