Former President Donald Trump was declared the winner of the second Republican debate on Wednesday night, according to a quick poll conducted by DailyMail.com among Republican viewers. Surprisingly, Trump did not even attend the event, but he still managed to secure a significant victory in the eyes of many within the party.
However, it wasn’t all bad news for the other candidates, especially Ron DeSantis, who was seen as the most ‘presidential’ and ‘competent’ among those who did take the stage at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California.
Analysts noted that DeSantis displayed a more confident performance compared to the first debate, where he had some moments of uncertainty. This time, he directly challenged Trump and leaned into his experience as Florida’s governor to outline his vision for the nation.
Despite Trump’s absence, a poll conducted by J.L. Partners found that 27 percent of viewers considered him the winner, narrowly edging out tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy by one point and DeSantis by 10 points.
Instead of participating in the debate, the former president chose to visit Michigan, aiming to capitalize on the ongoing autoworkers’ strike, a state that could play a crucial role in the general election.
The J.L. Partners poll surveyed 546 Republican viewers within an hour after the debate’s conclusion and has a margin of error of 4.2 percentage points.
With Trump not on the stage, seven other candidates had the opportunity to make their case. However, the night was marked by intense squabbling and candidates frequently talking over one another as they fought for speaking time.
Among the candidates who did participate, 35 percent of the surveyed Republicans declared Ramaswamy the winner, while 24 percent believed DeSantis gave the best performance. Following them were former Vice President Mike Pence at 11 percent, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Sen. Tim Scott, tied at seven percent, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at six percent, and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum at three percent.
James Johnson, co-founder of JLP, commented on the outcome: “In the absence of anyone landing a knockout blow, Trump was the big winner of last night’s debate. This is a Trump-dominated electorate, and Vivek Ramaswamy’s nominal win in our debate poll reflects that more than anything else. Ron DeSantis can claim something of a win, appearing the most presidential and competent, but he didn’t shine through as he needed to. Christie and Burgum were the definitive losers, dismissed by Republicans as annoying and boring, respectively.”
The poll was conducted online in the hour following the debate’s conclusion and carries a margin of error of 4.2 percent.
Respondents were given a list of words to choose from to describe each candidate, providing more nuanced insights. DeSantis was described as ‘competent’ by 26 percent and ‘presidential’ by 19 percent, receiving the highest scores. Ramaswamy also received positive ratings, with 24 percent calling him ‘strong,’ 33 percent labeling him ‘well-spoken,’ 23 percent considering him ‘persuasive,’ and tying with DeSantis for ‘most presidential.’
Nikki Haley topped the list for ‘charming’ with 11 percent, while Chris Christie was deemed the most ‘annoying,’ with 20 percent choosing that description for the former governor, who also criticized Trump for his absence.
Overall, the debate did not seem to significantly alter the dynamics of the race, with Trump still holding a commanding lead over DeSantis in the polls. Trump’s campaign has already announced he will not participate in the third debate after skipping the first two, given his strong position and desire to avoid taking fire from his rivals.
Despite some candidates criticizing Trump for his absence, it appears that this debate did not produce any clear frontrunners, leaving Donald Trump as the continued leader in the Republican primary contest.
