Beleaguered DeSantis falls further behind Trump in Florida, poll shows
A new poll shows Florida’s hard-right governor Ron DeSantis falling even further behind Donald Trump in his own state, one day before the embattled candidate for the Republican presidential nomination takes the debate stage in Miami.
The study by the University of North Florida (UNF) published Tuesday shows DeSantis trailing Trump by 39 points (60-21) among Republican Florida voters, with former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley a distant third at 6%.
Related: Iowa governor breaks neutrality to endorse Ron DeSantis for president
A July poll by Florida Atlantic University gave Trump a 50-30 lead over DeSantis in a similar hypothetical primary election.
In a straight head-to-head match up, Trump holds a 59-29 advantage, with 12% not making a choice, according to the new UNF study.
“Despite historically high approval in the polls, Governor DeSantis losing steam in his home state doesn’t bode well for his national campaign,” said Michael Binder, professor of political science at UNF and director of its public opinion research lab.
“Even if you wipe out the rest of the competition in a head-to-head, Trump leads DeSantis by 20 points.”
The Florida poll reflects DeSantis’s plunging popularity nationally as he struggles to keep his once-healthy campaign afloat. But the dip in his own state, where he was re-elected governor one year ago by a margin of 20%, will be particularly galling.
Trump, who will be hosting a rival rally in Hialeah on Wednesday night only a few miles from the downtown Miami debate stage, has seized on DeSantis’s stumbles, calling him “a wounded bird falling from the sky” in campaign messaging.
Haley, too, has also mocked DeSantis during a recent surge in her own popularity to an unlikely position as leading alternative to Trump in several early primary states.
“We’ll see if he can run in them,” she said of DeSantis’s campaign appearances in cowboy boots reportedly containing height-boosting hidden heels, amid more serious attacks over his foreign policy relating to the Ukraine and Gaza conflicts, and China.
DeSantis did pick up the endorsement of Iowa’s governor Kim Reynolds on Monday night, but has struggled to find influential Republican backing in Florida. Rick Scott, his predecessor as governor and now the state’s junior senator, came out for Trump last week, followed by the defections of five Florida legislators previously in the DeSantis camp.
“Weakening DeSantis’s standing in Florida is a clear objective of the Trump campaign,” Alex Conant, a Republican strategist, told the Associated Press over the weekend.
“His entire message is built on the idea that he is a terrific governor. When Republican officials in Florida are choosing Trump over DeSantis, it really weakens the core of DeSantis’s pitch.”
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Stick a fork in Meatball, he's done.
it doesn't look like he'll be getting out of florida before the results of his incompetence in office collapse on him.
I believe that he has lost three lawsuits in a row now.
Trying to catch up to Trump in every way.
This is what populism looks like.
And he isn't that popular in Florida as he once was.
I've been picking up on that for a while now.
DeSantis can't even beat Trump in Florida...
I'll give him cockeyed credit for sticking with all his crazy ideas even as his chances disappear. He IS a true believer.
I cannot decide whether Trump's or DeSantis' makeup is more ridiculous. One is in full on brown face and the other one is orangutan hued...
Sad when you've lost your own state
he's done until trump goes compost...
This is good news. I am in favor of DeSantis dropping out and Haley (hopefully) being the primary recipient of his support.
haley depends upon the votes of enlightened republicans. good luck with that...
Thanks, an incredible amount of luck will be needed.
haley has stated more than once that she would pardon trump. that disqualifies her in my mind.
Unfortunately, Chris Christie and Asa Hutchinson (the only ones who would not pardon Trump) have no realistic shot at the nomination. Even if Haley pardons Trump, it is far better to have her as the nominee than Trump as the nominee.
I always thought you were a realist...
The gop is going to nominate Trump.
Dems will unite behind our President.
The 40%, the MAGA, will hold strong...
That one fact sets the action in play!
Dreaming otherwise now is LaLa Land.
Did you get the impression in my post that I thought this was likely?
Yes, JBB, it is extremely likely that we will be stuck with Biden v Trump.
I would grudgingly agree with a Nikki Haley presidency, just to have Trump in the rear view mirror. I do fear Haley, a foreign policy hawk, would get the US embroiled internationally in a bunch of stuff that we dont need and would be dangerous.
I also think she is more conservative on domestic issues than people realize.
She is also a two faced that has oscillated on Trump pretty substantially over the years.
Haley is not my first choice for a GOP nominee, but she is the best of the most likely of the candidates currently in the race.
I would prefer someone like Chris Sununu, Condoleeza Rice (younger), Mitt Romney (younger).
But, as you noted, it would be an incalculable improvement to have Haley rather than Trump as the nominee.
I would say her and Chris Christie, yes.
Agreed. I can overlook Christie's sycophantic duration with Trump.
It only takes 35% of gop primary voters to lock in the gop nomination under the rules Trump and his maga wrote. Trump is polling 50-60% and rising in early primary states!
We all need to pick sides and gird our loins.
MAGA ARE MAD AND MAGA ARE COMING!
I would prefer that the GOP not have an electable candidate for any office.
Well I am not quite there cjcold. I think a one party system would be horrible for the nation. What I would like to see is at least three viable parties.
In very coarse terms, how about:
I would opt for the progressive party as described.
a pardon would result in another single term republican POTUS for the issuer, ala jerry ford...
I'm afraid that Trump will be the nominee. DeSantis was the only one that had any chance and he has screwed up so many times that he is nothing more than an empty suit.
I really don't see anyone beating Trump so, IMO we are going to get a rematch between Biden and Trump.
Yes, it is very unlikely that we get some other nominee in either party. I do not see either of these men voluntarily dropping out and the respective parties are unlikely to do anything to force them out. Thus we are stuck with Biden v Trump unless illness or some remarkable event changes public perception.
Tonight will be the third Republican debate and those still left standing are, DeSantis, Haley, Scott, Ramaswamy, and Christie. Miami will host the debate.
Meanwhile, down the road a piece Trump will be holding a competing gala (rally) in Hialeah, FL where he will be attempting to woo the criminals, rapists, and otherwise shady characters of the Florida Hispanic community.
Odds are that Trump Gala will outdraw the Unmentionable Five debate.
In the very latest polling Trump holds a 60% to 21% lead over the current ''place'' candidate, Meatball with "I'm a minority'' Haley the ''show'' position with 6%.
In a competing event Seminole and Miccosukee tribes of Florida will be throwing a Pow Wow in Ocali (The correct spelling of Ocala) where there a strong rumor that they will introduce an ORIGINAL AMERICAN as a presidential candidate. There is a strong buzz that it will be ''Buffalo Thunder'' the g g g g grandson of the Original Buffalo Heart. The current political parties are represented by an ass and elephant neither of those being American. We are the True American Political Party.
It will be held at ''Big Lee's BBQ'' on 19th St. in Ocali, FL.
It says much about the failings of the current GOP that their top two picks are Trump and DeSantis.
... all the original fascists are dead.
DeSantis just lost another court case.
DeSantis just lost another court case.