CNN Poll: Trump’s Support Grows in GOP Primary; Leads Field by 34 Points After Latest Arrest, Iconic Mugshot

Donald Trump mugshot
Fulton County Sheriff's Office
Nick Gilbertson

Former President Donald Trump has grown his lead over Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and the rest of the Republican primary field since June, as he holds a majority of support following his latest arrest in Fulton County, Georgia, and the release of his iconic mugshot, according to a national CNN/SSRS survey. 

The poll, published midday Tuesday and conducted after the release of Trump’s iconic mugshot on August 24, shows that 52 percent of registered Republicans and right-leaning independents back him for the nomination. He has gained five points of support since CNN’s June poll and currently sits 34 points ahead of DeSantis at 18 percent.

DeSantis’s support has withered by eight points since the last poll, when twenty-six percent of respondents supported him. In reference to CNN’s first GOP primary poll in March, when he and Trump garnered 36 percent and 40 percent, respectively, his support has been cut in half. The trend for both candidates since then has marked a net 30-point swing to Trump in Trump’s favor. 

Beyond Trump and DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence and former Gov. Nikki Haley (R-SC) share third place at seven percent apiece in the latest poll. Haley is up two points from June, while Pence is down two points. 

Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy is on their heels with six percent of backing. He ties Trump for the most positive movement in this poll compared to June, when he only scored one percent of support. 

From there, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) takes three percent, while former Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) takes two percent, and conservative radio host Larry Elder and Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND) tie at one percent. No other candidate musters a point, and just one percent back someone else, while one percent are undecided. 

The poll also gauged the second choices of the GOP primary voters who selected a preferred candidate, finding that DeSantis leads in this regard with 28 percent of the response. Ramaswamy follows with 14 percent, while Haley, Pence, and Trump tie at 11 percent. Seven percent say Scott is their backup plan. 

SSRS conducted the poll for CNN between August 25 and 31, sampling 1,503 respondents, including “898 Republicans and Republican-leaning independents.” The margin of error for the total sample is plus or minus 3.5 percent.  

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