Republican voters want Trumpism without Trump by 2-to-1: Poll
As former President Donald Trump struggles to gain traction with his nascent re-election bid, there are new signs that Republican voters may be ready to turn the page on the man who has become their party's most defining figure.
According to a just-released USA Today/Suffolk University poll, GOP voters are significantly more excited about a potential presidential run from Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) than Trump's candidacy, with 65 percent of respondents indicating they want DeSantis in the race. More than half of the respondents said they preferred him over Trump, whose overall approval rating has dropped to 30 percent.
"DeSantis outpolls Trump not only among the general electorate, but also among these Republican-leaning voters who have been the former president's base," Suffolk University Political Research Center Director David Paleologos said in a release accompanying the polling data. "Republicans and conservative independents increasingly want Trumpism without Trump."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The poll also shows DeSantis beating President Biden in a head-to-head race, 47 percent to 43, just outside its 3.1 point margin of error for all 1,000 respondents who participated between December 7-11. That data is tempered slightly by a separate poll also released Tuesday from Morning Consult, which shows Biden and DeSantis effectively tied at 42 percent apiece among approximately 7,000 respondents over roughly the same time period. That same data showed Biden narrowly defeating Trump 43 percent to 41.
However, as Suffolk's polling suggest, voters are similarly unenthusiastic about a second Biden term, with more than 67 percent of overall voters indicating they don't want the president to run again. Trump fared only slightly worse among overall respondents, with 69 percent saying they were opposed to his new campaign for the White House.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.
-
'A speaker courageous enough to stand up to the extremists in his own party'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
How could the Supreme Court's Fischer v. US case impact the other Jan 6. trials including Trump's?
Today's Big Question A former Pennsylvania cop might hold the key to a major upheaval in how the courts treat the Capitol riot — and its alleged instigator
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - April 18, 2024
Cartoons Thursday's cartoons - impeachment Peanuts, record-breaking temperatures, and more
By The Week US Published
-
'A speaker courageous enough to stand up to the extremists in his own party'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
How could the Supreme Court's Fischer v. US case impact the other Jan 6. trials including Trump's?
Today's Big Question A former Pennsylvania cop might hold the key to a major upheaval in how the courts treat the Capitol riot — and its alleged instigator
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Mark Menzies: Tories investigate MP after 'bad people' cash claims
Speed Read Fylde MP will sit as an independent while party looks into allegations he misused campaign funds on medical expenses and blackmail pay-out
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
'A direct, protracted war with Israel is not something Iran is equipped to fight'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Why Johnson won't just pass Ukraine aid
Speed Read The House Speaker could have sent $60 billion in military aid to Ukraine — but it would have split his caucus
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'Good riddance to the televised presidential debate'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Sudan on brink of collapse after a year of war
Speed Read 18 million people face famine as the country continues its bloody downward spiral
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump's first criminal trial starts with jury picks
Speed Read The former president faces charges related to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published