DeSantis, Trump Approval Rating Gap Widens to Double Digits

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] The approval ratings of Ron DeSantis, Governor of Florida and a rapidly emerging Republican presidential contender in the U.S., continue to surge unabated. While the Republican Party solidified its control in the recent midterm elections and DeSantis rose as a presidential hopeful, former President Donald Trump’s standing within the party has been increasingly constrained due to legal risks, causing him to lag significantly in various polls.

On the 14th (local time), The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that multiple polls indicate U.S. Republican supporters prefer Governor DeSantis over former President Trump as the next presidential candidate.

A survey conducted by polling firm Impact Research from the 3rd to the 7th, polling 1,500 voters nationwide, found that 52% of Republican supporters would vote for Governor DeSantis as the next Republican presidential nominee. Only 38% said they would vote for former President Trump.

Compared to a similar poll conducted just a month ago, the gap in approval ratings widened significantly to double digits at 14%.

In various recent polls on the next Republican presidential candidates, Governor DeSantis has consistently outpaced former President Trump by a wide margin.

In a recent USA Today poll, Governor DeSantis led former President Trump comfortably by 23 percentage points. In a preference survey conducted among all voters, not just Republican supporters, DeSantis garnered 43%, surpassing Trump’s 36%.

Amid controversies surrounding former President Trump, including a guilty verdict for tax fraud involving his family business, the Trump Organization, and a dinner with racial segregationists, overall favorability among Republican supporters is steadily declining.

Among Republican supporters, favorability toward former President Trump dropped from 85% a year ago to 74%, while negative views increased from 13% to 23%.

WSJ analyzed that the shift in public opinion within the Republican Party appears to stem from growing views that hold former President Trump responsible for the party’s poor performance in last month’s midterm elections.

However, even among Republican supporters, those with conservative leanings still prefer former President Trump over Governor DeSantis.

Among voters who identified themselves as "very conservative," Trump’s approval rating was 54%, higher than DeSantis’s 38%.

Additionally, in a hypothetical scenario where former President Trump faces off against former Vice President Mike Pence?another prominent Republican contender?in a party primary, Trump is shown to win decisively.

Among Republican supporters, 63% said they would vote for former President Trump, while less than half, 28%, said they would vote for former Vice President Pence.