The latest Morning Consult survey revealed that former President Donald Trump has a slight edge over current President Joe Biden in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup. Meanwhile, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis trails behind the two leaders by a significant margin.
The survey, which polled over 5,000 registered voters from March 2-5, 2023, shows that Trump has majority support in the potential crowded field. His closest rival, DeSantis, trails by 25 percentage points.
When asked who they would vote for between Trump and Biden, the results show a virtual tie, with 43 percent choosing Trump and 42 percent choosing Biden. 10 percent of respondents said they would vote for “someone else,” while 5 percent were undecided.
The same question was asked pitting DeSantis against Biden, with 44 percent supporting Biden and 40 percent choosing DeSantis. 8 percent said they would vote for “someone else,” and another 8 percent said they were undecided. These numbers indicate that the Republicans still have some ground to cover to defeat the Democrats.
The survey also analyzed the favorability ratings of each potential GOP candidate, with Trump leading the pack. 80 percent of respondents viewed him favorably, compared to 19 percent who did not.
DeSantis came in second, with 66 percent viewing him favorably and 14 percent unfavorably. However, 11 percent of respondents said they had never heard of him.
This is a problem faced by other GOP candidates as well, with 63 percent saying they had never heard of Vivek Ramaswamy and 26 percent saying they had never heard of Haley, the only other candidates besides Trump who have formally announced their candidacy.
The Morning Consult survey is not the only poll showing Trump’s popularity among Republican voters. Several polls have consistently shown him leading the pack in the 2024 GOP primary polls.
Moreover, he is leading Biden in a potential 2024 matchup, according to a recent Washington Post and ABC News survey. The survey, which was conducted ahead of Biden’s State of the Union address last month, shows Trump leading Biden by 48 percent to 45 percent.
A McLaughlin & Associates survey released in late February also showed Trump leading Biden by four points, with 48 percent of respondents supporting him compared to 44 percent for Biden.
Overall, the latest survey indicates that the race for the 2024 presidential election is heating up, with Trump still holding a strong lead among GOP voters.
However, DeSantis and other potential candidates still have a long way to go to catch up with the former president. It remains to be seen whether Trump will run again in 2024 and whether he can win a second term, but his continued popularity among Republican voters is undeniable.