Former President Donald Trump exuded confidence on Thursday about his chances of receiving the 2024 GOP presidential nomination despite his top contender announcing a bid for the White House.
Trump told reporters at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, that he was feeling “great” about the 2024 election, citing recent polls that showed the former president with a substantial lead over Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL).
BIDEN AND REPUBLICANS BLAME EACH OTHER FOR DEFAULT THEY INSIST WON’T HAPPEN
“The Fox poll was good. They’re all good,” Trump said. “The polls are very nice, so having a lot of fun.”
Trump claimed an unknown poll from Fox News placed him with a 71%-16% lead over DeSantis. A known Fox News poll from Friday to Monday showed Trump with 53% of the vote, compared to DeSantis with 20%. The poll was taken three days before DeSantis launched his long-anticipated 2024 presidential campaign.
“I think he had a rough opening,” Trump said Thursday of DeSantis’s campaign launch on Twitter Spaces, which was hosted by Twitter CEO Elon Musk and suffered several glitches and technological problems.
Polling data from RealClearPolitics show the highest percentage that Trump received was 67% back in November 2022 in a Harris poll. However, since the beginning of 2023, he has dropped down to 62% as his peak percentage.
DeSantis launched his bid for the White House on Wednesday after months of Trump hurling disparaging comments and insults at the Florida governor. The mudslinging began shortly after the former president announced his election campaign in November 2022 and quickly escalated in recent months as speculation surrounding DeSantis’s 2024 plans grew.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Trump has been critical of DeSantis several times, stating he has “no personality” and lacks “a lot of political skill” in an interview with the Messenger.
The Florida governor is entering the race with a series of legislative wins on hot-button topics relating to LGBT issues, abortion, and immigration, as well as a 20-percentage-point reelection win in the 2022 midterm elections. However, he will face a tougher battle in the 2024 Republican race.
