The results of a recent poll reveal that former President Donald J. Trump remains the perennial favorite amongst Republicans for their 2024 presidential candidate.
According to the results of the latest Harvard CAPS/Harris poll, Trump is currently the favorite with 57 percent support, which is a 45-point lead over Florida’s Republican Governor, Ron DeSantis, who is presently polling at 12 percent.
Consequently, Trump remains in a “strong position” well before the 2022 midterms, and he is widely anticipated to announce whether or not he will run for president after the midterm elections pass.
Mark Penn, who is the co-director of the Harvard CAPS/Harris poll, informed The Hill that it still remains “way too early” to make salient predictions regarding 2024, especially since early polls have historically not served “as a good predictor of what happens.”
Currently, Trump remains “in a fairly strong position” with the Republican Party, but Penn also notes that Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden “have surprisingly little support among Democrats for incumbents.”
Penn observed that Biden generally benefits from remaining “out of the limelight,” though oftentimes “[there is] no telling what would happen if he steps back in.”
The top three preferences for the 2024 presidential nomination include the following: Trump at 57 percent; DeSantis at 12 percent; and former Vice President Mike Pence at 11 percent.
In the event that Trump announces he will not seek re-election, the results of the poll shift as follows: DeSantis at 30 percent; Pence at 24 percent; and Senator Ted Cruz of Texas as 14 percent.
The media has frequently attempted to drive a wedge between Trump and DeSantis, though Trump has repeatedly denied reports of internal feuds with the Florida governor.
Aside from its focus on the presidential nominee in 2024, the poll also reveals that the Republicans are well-positioned against the Democrats, with Trump holding a six point lead over Biden in a theoretical rematch. Against Harris, Trump’s lead widens to ten points.
A total of 1,815 registered voters participated in the poll from January 19 to January 20. No margin of error was provided by the exclusive report from The Hill.
