Trump expands lead over DeSantis after Fla. gov’s campaign launch, new poll reveals
Former President Donald Trump has widened his lead over Ron DeSantis among Republican primary voters since the Florida governor’s campaign launch, according to a new national poll.
A Yahoo News/YouGov survey found the 76-year-old frontrunner leading DeSantis by 28 percentage points among likely GOP primary voters — 53% to 25% — an eight-point increase over early May, when Trump led 48% to 28%.
The rest of the Republican field is still polling in the low single digits, with former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, South Carolina GOP Sen. Tim Scott, and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy each earning 3% support.
Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and conservative radio host Larry Elder each receive 1% support.
In a hypothetical head-to-head matchup, Trump also leads DeSantis among Republican primary voters — 55% to 31% — a 10-percentage-point increase in the margin from the last time the survey was taken.
Among registered voters, President Biden polls ahead of Trump by seven percentage points — 48% to 41% — up from the 45% to 43% popular vote margin the incumbent enjoyed in early May.
Biden is also up six percentage points on DeSantis (46% to 40%) in a hypothetical 2024 faceoff.
The poll surveyed 1,520 US adults online between May 25 and 30, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.7 percentage points.
However, the margin of error was slightly higher (4.9%) among Republican primary voters.
DeSantis, 44, got his campaign off to a shaky start May 24. when his Twitter Live Spaces event with Elon Musk ended up crashing due to technical issues — though only 13% of voters surveyed said that left them with a “negative” impression.
Nearly a third (32%) of GOP primary voters have a “positive” view of the campaign launch, while 39% are “neutral” and 16% are undecided.
More than half (55%) of likely Republican primary voters also said Trump has the best chance of winning the general election in 2024 if he secures the nomination, whereas 31% said DeSantis had the best chance.
The Florida governor has hit the campaign trail in the early voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina touting his “Florida blueprint” as an alternative to the approach of Trump and the 80-year-old Biden.
Meanwhile, 83% of potential Republican primary voters have a favorable view of Trump and 77% have a favorable view of DeSantis.
More American voters currently disapprove (49%) than approve (44%) of Biden’s job performance.
The Yahoo/YouGov poll shows 29% of voters agree with the statement that “the rest of America would be better off” if it were governed “more” or “less” like Florida.
A majority of voters also oppose several bills that DeSantis signed into law during his second term as governor, including measures to allow for concealed carry of a firearm without a license or safety training (69%), prohibiting diversity, equity, and inclusion funding on college campuses (55%), banning abortions after six weeks of pregnancy (51%) and requiring library books to be reviewed for their appropriateness by the government (50%).
Slightly more voters (43%) also opposed arresting people for trespassing if they use bathrooms that don’t correspond with their sex at birth, whereas 40% support that law.
Nearly half (48%) of voters favor penalties for doctors that provide hormone therapy treatment or transgender surgical interventions for minors, while 40% oppose them.
Americans are also split on a law that prevents public school employees from referring to students by pronouns that do not match their birth sex, with 43% in favor and 41% opposed.
