The survey found DeSantis trailing Trump by 13 points in April before he announced his candidacy, underscoring the governor’s difficulty trying to win over Trump voters. Favorability for DeSantis has also declined since the April survey, when the percentage of respondents with a favorable view of him dropped from 84%. Up to 70 percent, Trump’s approval rating dropped from 78% to 75%. between the same two studies.
If the U.S. presidential election were held today between Trump and Joe Biden, the poll has both tied at 46 percent, with 8 percent undecided. Including a selection of third-party candidates, the poll puts Trump ahead of Biden 40 to 39, with lesser-known parties gaining single-digit support and 17 percent. Voters were undecided.
In the Republican primary, except for the top two candidates:
- 8 percent of respondents chose former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
- 5 percent chose biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramasamy.
- 3 percent Chris Christie, former governor-elect of New Jersey;
- 2 percent former Vice President-elect Mike Pence;
- And 2 percent pointed to Senator Tim Scott.
The survey also found that 60 percent of Republican voters believe any criminal case against Trump is baseless and politically motivated.