In the shadow of Joe Biden’s announcement of another run at the White House, the Donald Trump juggernaut rolls to new heights.
In two months, Trump’s Republican Primary poll numbers, according to an Emerson College survey, have skyrocketed from 55 percent favorable to 62 percent positive.
Political pundits tout Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) as Trump’s primary challenger for the Republican presidential nomination, yet no official announcement has been made. Since February 2023, DeSantis has slipped 9 points in the polls against Trump.
If a hypothetical vote were held today, Biden would beat Trump 43 percent to 41 percent. Six percent are undecided, and 10 percent would vote for another candidate. Biden would also come out on top against DeSantis 43 percent to 37 percent, with 8 percent undecided and 12 percent favoring someone else. The margin of error in the races is 4.5 percent.
Trump’s numbers increased after New York DA Alvin Bragg charged him with 34 felony counts for failing to report financial business records accurately. Trump is the first president to be criminally charged, although President Ulysses S. Grant was arrested and fined for speeding in his buggy in 1872.
The criminal charges against Trump have energized his supporters, calling the court proceedings unfounded and having no merit, which could account for his increased poll numbers.
DeSantis supporters are concerned that he has not officially declared himself a candidate and pushed back against Trump’s growing lead in the polls.
DeSantis has visited Iowa and New Hampshire in possible preparation for an official announcement.
DeSantis has recently visited Israel, Japan, and Korea, adding some foreign policy cred to his resume. However, his recent trip to the UK was not well received, calling his performance both lackluster, dull, low wattage, and in one case, horrendous.
Trump has taken on DeSantis for his past Social Security and Medicare policies. Meanwhile, DeSantis had reserved any outward criticism of the former president.
