A recent poll conducted by Quinnipiac University shows that former President Donald Trump has a 14-point lead over potential Republican presidential nomination rival Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida for the 2024 election. The poll also indicates that in hypothetical 2024 general election matchups, President Biden holds a four-point advantage over Trump and a razor-thin one-point edge over DeSantis. The survey was conducted from March 9-13 and shows Trump’s support among Republicans and GOP-leaning voters at 46%, with DeSantis at 32%. Trump has expanded his lead over DeSantis since Quinnipiac University’s February poll, where he topped the Florida governor 42%-36%.

Trump declared his candidacy for the 2024 White House race in mid-November, becoming the first major Republican to do so after the 2022 midterm elections. On the other hand, DeSantis, who is widely expected to run, has not announced his candidacy. According to Tim Malloy, a polling analyst at Quinnipiac University, “DeSantis might be the buzz in the GOP conversation, but, for now, Trump is seeing no erosion and, in fact, enjoys a bump in his lead in the Republican primary.”

Despite receiving unfavorable reviews after his mid-November campaign launch at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, and criticism over controversial comments and actions in the past two months, Trump remains the most popular and influential politician in the Republican Party, according to the poll. DeSantis’ popularity has soared among conservatives across the country due to his forceful pushback against coronavirus pandemic restrictions and his aggressive actions as a culture warrior going after the media, corporations and teachers’ unions.

In the Quinnipiac poll, former two-term South Carolina governor and U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley stands at 5% support, while former Vice President Mike Pence, who is moving toward a likely 2024 launch in the spring, stands at 3% support. No other potential or actual candidate mentioned in the survey tops 2%.

Looking at the November 2024 presidential election, the poll indicates that Biden would top Trump 49%-45% among all registered voters in a potential rematch of the 2020 election. The president edges DeSantis 47%-46% in a possible general election matchup, which is well within the poll’s margin of error. However, Biden’s approval rating stands at 39%-55%.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)