Even Republicans Who Think Trump Is A Criminal Support Him Over DeSantis, New Polls Are Awful
- Trump still dominates the primary polls, with 58% saying he could beat Biden
- 22% of GOP voters believe Trump has committed a “serious federal crime.”
- Florida Governor Ron DeSantis fell to a distant second with 17% support
Although nearly a quarter of Republican voters believe Donald Trump has committed “serious federal crimes,” they still prefer him over Florida Governor Ron DeSantis or any other GOP candidate, a shocking poll has found. new poll.
In addition, these Republican primary voters believe DeSantis is more “moral” and “more sympathetic” than Trump, but they still want to put forward the former president as the 2024 nominee.
It’s likely because Republicans are more confident that Trump could beat President Joe Biden in a general election over DeSantis.
The New York Times/Siena poll released Monday morning shows Trump a staggering 37 percent lead over second-place DeSantis as the ex-president continues to widen his lead over the rest of the crowded field of Republican candidates.
If the primary were held today, Trump would earn 54 percent of the Republican vote, while DeSantis would earn just 17 percent, which is 5 percent less than the number of voters (22 percent) who think the ex-president is a criminal.
No other candidate received double-digit support — and, in fact, none was able to break above 3 percent with former Vice President Mike Pence, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, and Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, all tied for third place.
Donald Trump still dominates the 2024 GOP primary, with 58% saying he can beat President Joe Biden and 54% saying if the primary were held today they would vote for the former president. Although 22% say he has committed “serious federal crimes,” they still prefer him over any other candidate in the field
Biotech millionaire Vivek Ramaswamy and ex-New Jersey gov. Chris Christie are tied for fourth with 2 percent support each.
In addition, the poll found that 58 percent of primary voters think Trump could beat Biden in a rematch in 2024, while DeSantis fell 30 points behind the ex-president with only 28 percent thinking he could beat the current CEO.
It comes as DeSantis prepares to unveil his economic proposal Monday in New Hampshire, as Americans continue to say one of their biggest complaints about Biden is his track record on economic issues.
The latest results also come as charges and investigations against the former president continue to pile up, which some say only strengthens his support and mobilizes the MAGA base.
The poll was conducted from July 23 to 27 and reached 932 voters, likely Republican primary voters. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.96 percent.
While many more GOP primary voters think Trump is “fun” and “can get things done,” DeSantis beats his main competitor in the “likability” and “morality” categories by 2 percent and 8 percent, respectively.
While GOP voters admit that Trump’s morality is questionable, they still much prefer him over all 14 other candidates in the primary.
When it comes to being a “strong leader,” a whopping 69 percent of Americans say they agree Trump fits the bill. Only 22 percent of the same pool of respondents say they feel the same way about DeSantis.
The poll in the “gets things done” category seems skewed, based primarily on public perception and not the results of the two candidates, as DeSantis has been able to pass a slew of conservative legislation in recent years with the Republican supermajority in Florida.
DeSantis falls a distant second in the NYT/Siena poll with 17% support from primary voters — though he beats Trump on who is more ‘sympathetic’ and ‘moral’
There are 15 candidates vying for the GOP nomination in 2024 — with Trump and DeSantis way ahead. Former VP Mike Pence, ex-ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott all tied for third with 3% support each
While DeSantis’ platform is objectively more conservative than Trump’s, the former commander-in-chief has a grip on the GOP base that doesn’t seem to waver — even after an indictment.
The latest in the saga of legal woes came earlier this month when Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith sent a letter to Trump informing him that he is a target of the US Capitol bombing investigation. January 6, 2021, which the House impeached him for just a few days. after the riot.
New documents also show that Trump’s Save America PAC has spent more than $40 million on legal fees since early 2023, meaning the majority of small donor funds go toward defending the former president against the many lawsuits against him.