Poll: Trump Remains Most Favorable in Potential Republican Primary Field

Former President Donald Trump remains the most favorable individual in the potential Republican primary field, a Morning Consult survey released this week found.

The survey, which found Trump leading his closest potential challenger, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis by 26 percent, also showed the former president maintaining his status as the most favorable individual in the potentially crowded GOP field:

In our latest tracker update, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is backed by 5% of potential Republican primary voters, while Vivek Ramaswamy has 1% support, showing meager backing for Trump’s declared challengers for the GOP’s nomination. https://t.co/4CBfh5hte0 pic.twitter.com/bVPVtIPLRy

— Morning Consult (@MorningConsult) March 28, 2023

According to the survey, 76 percent view Trump favorably, compared to 21 percent who do not.

Meanwhile, DeSantis comes in second place with 68 percent viewing him favorably and 13 percent viewing him unfavorably. However, ten percent said they have heard of him and have no opinion, and another ten percent said they have never heard of him at all. Most of the remaining individuals in the poll have that similar issue, but Trump does not:

In our latest tracker update, almost 7 in 10 potential Republican primary voters (68%) hold favorable views of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, compared with 13% who view him unfavorably.

View more insights: https://t.co/4CBfh5gVos pic.twitter.com/5FK1QI1SGR

— Morning Consult (@MorningConsult) March 28, 2023

Former Vice President Mike Pence is the only other potential candidate listed who saw over 50 percent viewing him favorably (57 percent). However, he has the second highest unfavorable rating, coming behind former Rep. Liz Cheney’s 54 percent with 30 percent viewing him unfavorably.

Former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley has 48 percent viewing her favorably and 13 percent viewing her unfavorably. However, one quarter said they have never heard of her — an issue Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (32 percent), Sen. Tim Scott (36 percent), Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (38 percent). South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (47 percent) and Vivek Ramaswamy (56 percent) particularly suffer from as well.

Further, despite the tension between the two, the survey found a plurality of Trump and DeSantis supporters choosing the other man as their second choice candidate. Forty-six percent of Trump supporters said they would choose DeSantis as their second choice in 2024, and 42 percent of DeSantis supporters said the same of Trump.

The survey was taken Match 24-26, 2023, among roughly 800 GOP primary voters and has a +/- 4 percent margin of error. It comes over a week after Trump announced his suspicions of a forthcoming arrest at the hands of leftist Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, sparking outrage among Republicans.