Former President Trump is losing steam among Republican primary voters, while interest in potential foe Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is rising, two polls out this week found.
Driving the news: DeSantis beat Trump 52% to 38% in a hypothetical contest between the two GOP leaders among likely Republican primary voters, a Wall Street Journal poll released Wednesday found.
- Among Republicans who say they are likely to vote in the GOP primary, 86% said they viewed DeSantis favorably, compared to 74% saying the same of Trump, the Wall Street Journal found.
Another poll out this week by USA TODAY/Suffolk University found Trump's GOP support wavering.
- 31% of Republican and Republican-leaning voters said they want Trump to run, while 61% say they prefer another Republican nominee who would support the same policies as the former president, per the USA Today poll.
- That poll found Republicans and Republican-leaning voters prefer DeSantis over Trump, 56% to 33%.
The big picture: DeSantis pulled off a decisive victory over Democrat Charlie Crist in his midterm election last month, while Trump and the rest of the GOP faltered elsewhere.
- Many of Trump's endorsed candidates were defeated or struggled in otherwise winnable races.
- Trump announced his 2024 campaign for president at his Mar-a-Lago residence last month. DeSantis has so far steered clear of a formal announcement.
Go deeper... Inside Trump's dicey 2024 campaign announcement
