Donald Trump is still tops among GOP women, new poll finds

(Image credit: Craig Barritt/Getty Images)

Donald Trump's poll numbers may be subject to the laws of gravity, after all. But he still holds a sizable lead over his GOP presidential rivals, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll — and perhaps more surprisingly, he's also still the No. 1 pick of Republican women. In a new poll, conducted Aug. 7-11, Trump had the support of 20 percent of female respondents, down from 26 percent on Aug. 3. Overall, Trump polled at 23.3 percent, and Jeb Bush was in a distant second with 12.4 percent. (The poll has a confidence interval of about 7 percent).

Reuters also randomly interviewed people in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, the Democratic-leaning county that includes Allentown and other factory towns. Trump did even better there, earning the support of a third of the women polled. His appeal? Outspokenness, perceived honesty, and lack of Washington taint. "I like how disgusted he is in how things are right now," said Kelly Ray, a conservative Christian who gave up her teaching job to home-school her two kids. "I'm not fed up with Donald Trump. I'm fed up with Barack Obama."

The comment about Megyn Kelly and "blood coming out of her wherever" cost Trump the support of some women, Reuters found, but not that many. "Shame on the public for presuming something, for putting words in his mouth," Evonne Groody, a 28-year-old Allentown nurse and a registered Democrat, told Reuters. Though if Trump had meant that Kelly was irrational because she was menstruating during the debate, Groody added, he should have just said so.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.