Former President Donald Trump experienced yet another boost this week amid rumors of a looming arrest, the latest Morning Consult survey, released Tuesday, found.
This week’s Morning Consult survey demonstrates gains for the former president, as he now has 54 percent support — up from 52 percent recorded last week. Meanwhile, his closest potential competitor, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, lost two points, going from 28 percent to 26 percent. In other words, Trump’s lead jumped from +24 to +28 in the last week:
2024 Republican primary polling trends by Morning Consult
Jan 2:
• Trump — 45% (+11)
• DeSantis — 34%Feb 25:
• Trump — 48% (+18)
• DeSantis — 30%March 14:
• Trump — 52% (+24)
• DeSantis — 28%MARCH 19:
• Trump — 54% (+28)
• DeSantis — 26% pic.twitter.com/wh35GXRYII— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) March 21, 2023
No other potential candidate comes close, as former Vice President Mike Pence remained consistent, coming in third place with seven percent support. Presidential candidate Nikki Haley followed with four percent support, and former Rep. Liz Cheney came one point behind with three percent support. No other potential candidate saw greater than one percent support.
Morning Consult described Trump’s lead as such:
Trump Continues to Lead DeSantis: As Trump awaits potential indictment on charges related to a 2016 hush money scheme with adult-film star Stormy Daniels, he has posted one of his largest polling leads in the 2024 Republican primary. The latest survey shows 54% of potential primary voters support the former president, compared with 26% who are backing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, tying his expected opponent’s lowest level of support since tracking began in December.
As has been relatively consistent in prior surveys, a plurality of DeSantis voters, 43 percent, choose Trump as their second-choice candidate, and 46 percent of Trump voters choose DeSantis as their second choice.
The survey was taken March 17-19, 2023, among 3,394 potential Republican primary voters. Notably, Trump announced the impending arrest on Saturday, March 18, meaning this survey was taken in the midst of that news. However, DeSantis did not weigh in on the issue until Monday, March 20, meaning the survey does not necessarily reflect the GOP’s reaction to DeSantis’s position on the matter.
Many conservatives are frustrated with the governor after he condemned the woke leftist prosecutor Alvin Bragg but ultimately concluded that his administration is “not going to be involved” with a “manufactured circus by some Soros [backed] DA.”
“But what I can speak to is that if you have a prosecutor who is ignoring crimes happening every single day in his jurisdiction, and he chooses to go back many, many years ago, to try to use something about porn star hush money payment,” DeSantis said, concluding that he has “real issues” to deal with in Florida.
WATCH: Ron DeSantis Breaks Silence on Rumored Trump Indictment:
Ron DeSantis / Rumble
That did not sit well with several high-profile Republicans, including Trump’s sons and others:
So DeSantis thinks that Dems weaponizing the law to indict President Trump is a “manufactured circus” & isn’t a “real issue”
Pure weakness. Now we know why he was silent all weekend. He’s totally owned by Karl Rove, Paul Ryan & his billionaire donors. 100% Controlled Opposition. https://t.co/3fT06rlbH5
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) March 20, 2023
Shouldn’t matter if you hate Trump or not, there isn’t any issue more real & more important to push back against than Dems weaponizing the government to target their political opponents. Any Republican who can’t figure that out, doesn’t truly understand what we’re all up against. https://t.co/CwNJgWiqGn
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) March 20, 2023
Until that day where they do the exact same thing to him, his friends and his family… at which time he will neither have the backbone, nor the resources, to fight off the corrupt system. He’s not the guy I though he was… https://t.co/VDPPcuMbG7
— Eric Trump (@EricTrump) March 20, 2023
DeSantis, America’s greatest governor, believes using selective prosecution against Republican candidates is a “sideshow.” He greatly misunderstandings the threats to this country arising from Soros DA’s. Democrats want to put conservatives in gulags. There is no bigger issue.
— Cernovich (@Cernovich) March 20, 2023
Anyone surprised by this? Been saying this forever: Desantis is a good Governor but he is establishment and will be a major disappointment to those who think otherwise.
People disenchanted with Trump (sometimes rightfully) saw things in Desantis that were never there. https://t.co/HIv7sz5cel— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) March 20, 2023
