Donald Trump continues to hold a commanding lead in the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. In an extensive new survey of 2024 GOP hopefuls released on Monday, the former president held a gaping 21-point margin over the field. South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and former Florida Governor Ron DeSantis were locked into a statistical tie for second place, bringing up the rear some 21 points behind Trump.
The survey, conducted by Morning Consult for Politico, shows that Republican voters are still firmly aligned with Trump going into the next election cycle. Nearly three quarters of respondents (72 percent) answered either “strongly” or “somewhat” in favor of the former president, with a substantial 66 percent saying that leaving office won’t have an effect on their opinion of Trump.
These results affirm the overall trend in the Republican Party towards a Trump-oriented future. After the chaotic finish to his presidency in 2020, Trump has remained at the center of GOP focus, even conducting one on one meetings with high-profile party leaders as recently as last Friday.
Meanwhile, the other two leading figures from the survey – Haley and DeSantis – have been angling to position themselves as the bold new faces of the Republican Party, signifying a break from Trump and his legacy. But even as the two of them appear to be locked in a tight race for second place, both look to have a long way to catch up in the minds of the Republican base.
The survey also indicated that the potential field of contenders remains quite small, with New York Congressman and former UN Ambassador John Bolton coming in with just 6 percent support. As yet, there is no clear or obvious answer to the “anti-Trump” faction of the party, and the 2024 race may be in for a highly unpredictable ride.
