Ron DeSantis' Popularity Plunges to Lowest in Poll's History
By: James Bickerton (Newsweek)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Ron DeSantis' net approval rating has slumped to a new low of -24 according to an opinion survey, the worst it has been since the pollster started tracking the Florida governor in May 2022.
The Civiqs poll concluded that on July 26 some 57 percent of registered American voters had a negative view of DeSantis, versus just 33 percent with a positive impression and 10 percent who were unsure.
DeSantis is currently running for the Republican presidential nomination, with polling indicating he is currently the second most popular choice with GOP voters after Donald Trump. However the DeSantis campaign has struggled to make headway against the former president, and earlier this week fired a staffer after they reportedly included a Nazi-associated symbol in a video promoting the Florida governor.
The latest Civiqs survey has DeSantis as the most unpopular he's been since the pollster started measuring his national favorability ratings in May 2022. According to Civiqs, DeSantis' ratings peaked in November and early December 2022, following his decisive re-election in the preceding midterm election, when his net approval reached -1, but has since declined significantly.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks to guests at the Family Leadership Summit in Des Moines, Iowa, on July 14, 2023. DeSantis' popularity has hit a new low according to new polling data. Scott Olson/GETTY
Some 48,132 registered voters have participated in Civiqs' ongoing online survey into DeSantis' popularity between May 18, 2022, when it was launched, and July 26, 2023.
Speaking to Newsweek, a Civiqs employee said the company surveys an average of around 110 people per day on DeSantis, with the data fed into a statistical model that "smooths out daily sampling variation" and adjusts for demographic variations.
Newsweek has contacted the DeSantis presidential campaign for comment via email.
Earlier this week his team reportedly fired 38 staffers in a bid to reset their campaign and reduce expenditure.
Speaking to NBC News, a DeSantis advisor said: "We had too many people, that's absolutely fair to say."
In a statement Generra Peck, DeSantis' campaign manager, commented: "Following a top-to-bottom review of our organization, we have taken additional, aggressive steps to streamline operations and put Ron DeSantis in the strongest position to win this primary and defeat Joe Biden.
"Governor DeSantis is going to lead the Great American Comeback and we are ready to hit the ground running as we head into an important month of the campaign."
On Wednesday DeSantis said he would consider giving Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the vaccine skeptic running for the Democratic presidential nomination, a position in his administration if he reaches the White House.
Asked whether Kennedy could be his vice-presidential pick in an interview with Outkick's Clay Travis, he said: "Here's the issue: I'm aligned with him on [former presidential medical adviser Dr. Anthony] Fauci, the corruption and the health bureaucracy—100 percent…But, at the end of the day, he's more liberal."
DeSantis went on to suggest Kennedy could be given a position within the Food and Drug Administration or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Tags
Who is online
127 visitors
There is good news and bad news for DeSantis in this. The bad news is only 33 percent of Americans like him. The good news is the 33 percent that like him are likely almost all Republican primary voters. He has a chance !
And a higher approval rating than Biden!
His war on ''woke'' has driven away another convention, I think that is number 13 that has pulled out of Florida and each of them stated DeSantis and his ''woke laws'' as the reason.
'No silver lining in slavery': Tim Scott blasts Ron DeSantis on Florida's new Black history standards
GOP Rep. Byron Donalds, the sole Black member of Florida's congressional delegation, is at odds with the state Education Department and Gov. Ron DeSantis, after criticizing a clarification in middle school instruction standard on Black history.
What do these two politicians have in comment:
1. Both are Republican
2. Both are Conservative
3. Both are Black
4. Both spoke out against Florida's new Black history standards.
Quite interesting turn of events. Conservative blacks are taking a position.
Yes, they are and in the case of Rep. Donalds the Desantis camp is attacking him...Once again showing there total stupidity.
And of course, his policies are resulting in a loss of revenue and this figure is before the last two conventions pulled out.
duhstankus sure can blow thru the cash that doesn't belong to him...
funny how his new education standards coincide with an outbreak of leprosy in florida. how very biblical...
Ron DeSantis new and improved Trade School for Trade Slavery.
Democrats waiting outside to make sure it isn't integrated.
Sorry that you're stuck in the 50s but as been explained to you and with facts the ideology of the parties has changed starting with FDR.
I guess that you don't accept facts so carry on.
Nice try at deflecting, Greg but as usual you are wrong, and thanks for proving it once again.
Prove me wrong. The Democrats fought the passage of the Civil Rights Act of1964 tooth and nail.
This was also the era of George Wallace and the Selma marches.
Southern White Democrats have never really accepted the reality that Blacks have strengths and rights and don't need or want the progressives to considered them disadvantaged and try to control them.
you have a severe lack of understanding of history
Voting for the bill were 152 Democrats and 138 Republicans. Voting against it were 96 Democrats and 34 Republicans.
Yes, it was and Wallace was a racist Democrat who in the 1970s renounced his support of segregation. Interestingly enough the leader of the march on the Pettis Bridge was John Lewis a Democrat.
I live in the South and know a goodly number of white dems that have accepted it and support civil rights. BTW, the Civil Rights Act covered more minorities than just blacks.
You do realize that the majority of blacks today are dems, don't you? In fact, the majority of minorities vote dem. Also if you look at the makeup of the House and Senate you'll see that the majority of minorities are dems.
If you count Jewish people the stats are even worse for the Republicans
Why do you think either of those stats are true?
BTW, someone that you seem to support, Ron DeSantis in the last two days has attacked two black conservative Republicans, Tim Scott US Senator, and Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), now that is really a stupid thing to do.
Very good. Its fun to mock this fool.
Yes, it is.