Donald Trump still dominates the field of potential Republican challengers according to a recent poll from Harvard CAPS/Harris. The poll revealed that Trump still holds a tight grip on the Republican Party and despite some consideration that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis could pose a threat to Trump’s third campaign he came in a distant second place in the survey.
The Hill reports:
In a hypothetical eight-person GOP presidential primary, Trump holds a clear edge, garnering 57 percent support among Republican voters. DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence are nearly deadlocked at 12 percent and 11 percent, respectively. No other would-be candidate tested in the poll registers double-digit support.
Should Trump forgo another campaign for the White House, however, DeSantis would supplant him as the frontrunner. The Florida governor scores 30 percent support in a field that doesn’t include Trump, while Pence takes second place at 24 percent.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) gets 14 percent support in such a scenario, according to the survey.
The poll underscores the continued hold that Trump has over Republican voters as he weighs a 2024 comeback bid. While he hasn’t offered a definitive answer to the question of whether he will run for the White House again, he has repeatedly teased another campaign and has begun to ramp up his political operation ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.
The poll comes amid reports of heightened tension between Trump and DeSantis because of the 2024 election.