Trump wins Iowa despite feud with governor, DeSantis shows promise: Poll.
Trump Maintains Strong Lead in Iowa Polling
Former President Donald Trump continues to dominate the competition in new polling of likely Iowa Republican caucusgoers, defying predictions that his controversial campaign decisions would hinder him.
In the first Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa poll, Trump emerged as the overwhelming first choice for caucusgoers, garnering 42% of the support. While he may not be the top pick for the majority of Republicans, he still holds a significant advantage over his opponents.
Trump Leads the Pack
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) emerged as the first choice for 19% of likely caucusgoers, but Trump maintains a commanding 23-point lead over his closest competitor. Other candidates failed to break into double digits, with Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) coming in at 9%.
Responding to the poll, DeSantis campaign spokesman Andrew Romeo stated, “Donald Trump is leaving the door wide open in the Hawkeye State, and we are capitalizing. The more Iowans see Ron DeSantis in-person, the more his message to reverse our nation’s decline and revive the American Dream will continue to resonate.”
Although DeSantis saw an increase in support compared to national numbers, he still lags significantly behind Trump.
Some strategists had anticipated a decline in Trump’s support in the state due to perceived missteps.
Last month, Trump was notably absent from The 2023 FAMiLY Leadership Summit, a gathering hosted by an influential socially conservative organization. The event was attended by many of Trump’s primary race opponents, including DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, Scott, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, and Vivek Ramaswamy, among others. Trump had offered to send Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) as a surrogate, but this was rejected by the Family Leader president and CEO Bob Vander Plaats.
Vander Plaats, a prominent conservative Christian leader in the state, recently suggested that voters are ready to move on from the former president.
However, this sentiment does not seem to resonate with evangelicals, as Trump remains highly favored among this religious group, with 74% support. DeSantis, on the other hand, closely rivals Trump’s favorability with evangelicals, boasting 73%. The Florida governor has maintained a strong relationship with Vander Plaats, unlike Trump.
Despite engaging in a feud with Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA), which led some strategists to believe that Iowa Republicans might seek an alternative candidate, Trump’s lead in the latest poll remains strong, surpassing 20 points.
This comes as candidates like DeSantis and Scott have established robust grassroots efforts in Iowa, hoping to capitalize on perceived mistakes made by Trump. While both men received more support from Iowans in the poll compared to national data, it still falls short of posing a real challenge to the former president.
On the other hand, Trump has spent considerably less time on the ground in Iowa, but this does not seem to deter his supporters. Additionally, he recently announced that he will not be attending the Republican National Committee’s primary debate on Wednesday. DeSantis’s campaign criticized this decision, emphasizing the importance of candidates showing up to earn the support of voters. However, if the new Iowa data are any indication, Trump may not need to be physically present to maintain his support.
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