As we begin to saunter ever closer to the honest-to-goodness bulk of the 2024 electoral cycle, it appears as though Donald Trump’s status as the de facto GOP nominee is slipping.
The former President has long been a controversial figure in American politics, but that was always the point. He was elected for the purpose of turning Washington on its head, and that he did.
But now, with a bevy of potential usurpers waiting in the wings, Trump may be losing his luster.
Republican support for Donald Trump’s presidential bid in 2024 has cratered, an exclusive USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll finds, as the former president is beleaguered by midterm losses and courtroom setbacks.
By 2-1, GOP and GOP-leaning voters now say they want Trump’s policies but a different standard-bearer to carry them. While 31% want the former president to run, 61% prefer some other Republican nominee who would continue the policies Trump has pursued.
And a familiar character could be on his way to fill the space.
They have a name in mind: Two-thirds of Republicans and those inclined to vote Republican want Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to run for president. By double digits, 56% to 33%, they prefer DeSantis over Trump.
“Republicans and conservative independents increasingly want Trumpism without Trump,” said David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center.
Trump is the only candidate currently in the race for 2024, making an early announcement just a week after the midterm elections earlier this year.
