Trump doubles his lead in Republican primary over DeSantis
Donald Trump has doubled his lead in the Republican presidential primary amid reports he will face charges from the Manhattan district attorney’s office, a new poll has found.
Voters see the case as politically motivating, said pollster Daron Shaw, and it puts them back in Trump’s corner.
The Fox News poll found that Trump has doubled his lead since February and is 30 points ahead of Ron DeSantis, 54% to the Florida governor’s 24%.
Last month, Trump led DeSantis by 15 points: 43% to 28%.
DeSantis has not formally announced a presidential bid, but many expect the Republican governor to run for office. He is seen as Trump’s toughest contender for the GOP nomination.
No other Republican contender or potential candidate is in double digits in the poll.
Mike Pence came in third with 6%, while Liz Cheney and Nikki Haley each got 3%. Only Haley has announced her offer.
Overall, Trump leads the race for the nomination by 17 points in the RealClearPolitics Survey Average.
The first votes in the contest won’t take place until early 2024, but the former president has dominated the news cycle in recent weeks amid speculation he’s about to face charges in New York.
“The rumor that Trump will be indicted by the Manhattan district attorney has helped him quite a bit among the Republican primary voters,” Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who leads the poll with Democrat Chris Anderson, told Fox News.
“They view the case as politically motivated and it reanimates the sense that Trump is still battling against forces they see as corrupt and uncontrollable.”
Donald Trump (left) leads Ron DeSantis (right) 54% to 24% in Fox News’ new poll — 30 points more than a month ago
Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg assembled a grand jury earlier this month hoping to indict Trump over campaign finance violations.
The jurors must investigate whether Trump broke the law when his lawyer Michael Cohen gave $130,000 to porn star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about claims she slept with Trump in 2016.
Trump denied the affair and any wrongdoing.
It was announced on Wednesday that the jury will not hear evidence in the case for a month, largely due to a previously scheduled break.
In a Truth Social video, Trump said Bragg’s move was an attempt by Democrats to interfere in the election.
“Election interference through prosecutors is the new ballot box for the Democratic party. It’s bad, it’s dangerous, it’s third world and this is the way they’re going to do it. They are a disgrace to our nation,” he said.
The former president has repeatedly railed against the justice system, claiming it is being used against him as Democrats try to help Joe Biden win another term in the Oval Office.
Other Republicans have supported that claim.
Pence said the latest delay is further evidence that the prosecution is politically motivated.
“I have expressed concern about what appears to be a political prosecution taking place in New York and I remain hopeful that the Manhattan District Attorney will give it more thought,” he told DailyMail.com during his trip to Iowa on Wednesday.
Speaking to Iowa’s DailyMail.com, former Vice President Mike Pence said the latest delay is further evidence that the prosecution is politically motivated
“The reality is that millions of Americans believe that we have a two-tier justice system in this country.
One that applies to Democrats and one that applies to Republicans.
“And I think that equal justice before the law every American deserves and I hope that will be reflected in future decisions.”
Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz said the grand jury’s going home could be a signal that Bragg might reconsider his stance.
“I think the fact that the grand jury has been sent home is an indication that many Democrats, possibly even Bragg, are getting cold feet,” Cruz told DailyMail.com. “They realize they went too far and this was a mistake. I don’t know if his partisan hatred is so great that he can’t stop. But the delay is a good sign for the rule of law,” he said.
“The substance of the case is utter nonsense,” Cruz continued. It’s baseless and frivolous. It’s a political persecution, and ironically, the fact that this left-wing Democrat is pursuing it has already proven to be an important political advantage for Donald Trump.”
NYPD personnel remove barricades from the courthouse where a grand jury had been deliberating charges against Donald Trump
Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg has been widely criticized for his handling of the case. Many say it has no legs and is driven by its own political hatred of Trump
There is no official deadline for dropping charges.
But recently, prosecutors offered Trump the chance to testify before the pnale, which is usually one of the last steps of a criminal investigation.
Trump refused and caused a frenzy when he posted on his Truth Social page that an indictment would be forthcoming last Tuesday – which did not happen.