Two-thirds of Iowa Republicans DISAGREE with Trump, insist GOP rivals must pledge to unite behind 2024 nominee running against Biden, poll shows

Iowa Republicans overwhelmingly believe that the party’s 2024 candidates should commit to supporting the eventual nominee, putting them on a collision course with front-runner Donald Trump.

In an interview Wednesday night, the former president said he would refuse to sign any pledge to support the eventual Republican nominee.

The pledge is one of the requirements for the 2024 hopeful to enter the first presidential debate later this month.

And a DailyMail.com poll found that 65 percent of likely Iowa caucus attendees agreed that candidates should commit to supporting the eventual winner of the nomination process.

Only 15 percent sided with Trump’s position in the survey of 600 Republicans in the state.

Even 77 percent of his own supporters think he should sign up.

James Johnson, of JL Partners who conducted the poll, said it showed Republicans were looking beyond the nomination race.

“There is a general expectation among the Republican electorate that the final nominee should be supported by the others in the race,” he said.

That probably stems from a genuine desire to beat Joe Biden and conquer the Democrats.

“That kind of tempers the idea that the Republican Party just became Trump’s party and suggests that beating a Democrat is still important.”

Trump has not yet said whether he plans to participate in the debate in Milwaukee on August 23.

As a clear frontrunner, he has more to lose than other candidates, who know that a strong performance can help them move up the rankings.

In an interview with Newsmax, the former president said he would announce his plan for debate night next week.

But he made it clear that he would not agree with the Republican National Committee’s demand that all debaters sign up to support the final nominee.

“So they want you to sign a pledge, but I can name three or four people that I wouldn’t support as president,” he said. “So there’s a problem there.”

Donald Trump appeared on Newsmax Wednesday night. He said he couldn’t sign a pledge to support the eventual Republican nominee for the 2024 election

So far, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has been the first candidate to sign the pledge

The focus of the Republican nomination race shifts to Iowa this week with the state fair. Ron DeSantis supporters joined the kickoff parade on Wednesday

Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy became the first candidate to apply on Tuesday. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis followed suit a day later.

Other candidates have expressed concern about the idea. Former Representative Will Hurd has said he cannot sign it due to Trump concerns, while former New Jersey Chris Christie questions its value.

In the meantime, eight candidates say they have met the polling and fundraising criteria to enter the debate.

Trump has repeatedly said he was not afraid of his rivals, but believed there was limited advantage in showing up.

‘It’s not a matter of guts. It’s a matter of intelligence,’ he said.

The focus of the race shifts to Iowa this week as candidates flock to the state fair.

Iowa Republicans are the first to choose their preferred candidate at their February caucus

JL Partners surveyed 600 likely Republican caucus attendees in Iowa from April 1 to 7. The results have a margin of error of +/- four percent

Despite DeSantis’ decline, Florida governor remains best-placed to give Trump a shot at the Republican nomination in a head-to-head battle

The state is the first to select its preferred candidate, giving it an outsized vote in the race. A good performance here can make a campaign, while a bad result can end a candidate’s run overnight.

Trump will be there over the weekend and his main rival Ron DeSantis embarked on a bus tour of the state on Thursday.

The DailyMail.com poll shows that Trump has a firm grip on the race. He’s clearly in first place with 43 percent support in the state (compared to 41 percent in April, when the poll was last conducted).

But Ron DeSantis has lost nine points, putting him at 17 percent. The results mean more trouble for Florida’s governor, who restarted his campaign this week.

Meanwhile, Senator Tim Scott has risen to 11 percent.