DeSantis leads Trump in Iowa by eight points in head-to-head after sparring over ‘drama’ and ‘porn star’ attacks
- DeSantis leads Trump by eight points, 45 to 37, in the head-to-head matchup
- Public opinion strategies polling showed that they are tied up in a much more crowded field
- In a poll by the same company, Trump and DeSantis are in the heat of New Hampshire at 39 percent.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is leading Donald Trump in a new poll out of Iowa, after a week in which he vented some of his harshest attacks on the former president and hurled Trump a series of insults.
Iowa poll public opinion strategies For Axios, it centers around a state that is emerging as a key political battlefield for GOP forces hoping to overthrow Trump.
According to the poll, DeSantis leads Trump by eight points, 45 to 37, in the head-to-head matchup.
The news comes after Trump rallied his base again with a rally in Waco, where he once again attacked Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg amid indications he may be about to indict him over matters relating to his “silence” agreement with porn star Stormi. Daniels. Trump told reporters that DeSantis would have worked in a cigar store had he not agreed to the governorship.
DeSantis isn’t doing well in a crowded primary, which could come close to approximating reality a year from now. When former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy are joined, Trump and DeSantis are tied in Iowa.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is leading former President Donald Trump in a new poll from Iowa
DeSantis leads Trump head-to-head in Iowa, though they tie when other announced candidates are included. The two rivals are tied in the grip of New Hampshire
Trump capitalized on the 2016 free-for-all Republican primary, and he could do so again in a sizable field that divides his support.
DeSantis said in an interview last week that he had nothing to do with silent payments to a porn star — in a statement the Trump camp saw as an attack. Trump responded with another attack on “Ron de Sanctimonius”.
Trump and DeSantis are tied in New Hampshire in a poll by the same company, at 39 percent each.
Ex-President Donald Trump extended his lead over DeSantis nationally, rallying with his base in Waco, Texas, over the weekend.
Trump continued his attacks on DeSantis on the way to Texas, saying he would have run a cigar shop without his approval.
DeSantis has bested Trump in the preference ratings, with a rating of 81-11 in Iowa compared to Trump’s 74-24 among Republican voters. In New Hampshire, DeSantis’ rating was at 77-5, while Trump’s rating was 69-29.
Early state polls come as Trump extended his lead over DeSantis in the national surveys.
He’s become a favorite of a group of Republicans seeking an alternative to Trump, but some of his views on national politics remain well-known — like his recent comment calling Russia’s war on Ukraine a “territorial dispute,” in a comment he said he tried to come back.
Iowa has always held significant clout in the winnowing process as the first state to hold a caucus, with Republican caucuses set to start in 2024. If Trump, as a former Republican president, suffers a defeat there, it could be a blow. to his aura as a frontrunner in the field. Trump, who announced his bid in contrast to DeSantis, visited Davenport earlier this month.
Trump was narrowly defeated by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz there in 2016 (Trump accused him of “fraud,” at a time when his seriousness as a candidate was still being assessed. A defeat as an incumbent could have a more visible effect.
New Hampshire is scheduled to hold its first primary in the country in January 2024. Trump handily defeated former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld in 2020. As a small state, it has traditionally provided entry-level candidates with a challenging stage to try, and a less-than-stellar performance there could wound Trump.
