DeSantis Can Beat Trump, But Not If This Candidate Joins The Fray And Splits Vote: New Poll Numbers

The race for the Republican presidential nomination in the 2024 election has started on a muted note, with only Donald Trump officially announcing his candidacy so far. This time around, the former president may have to contend with several of his party mates, who are expected to give him a tough fight.

What Happened: If the Republican primary were fought between Trump and Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor would win hands down, according to a Yahoo! News/YouGov poll conducted between Feb. 2 and Feb. 6.

About 45% favored DeSantis when asked whom they would vote for if their state’s 2024 Republican primary was held that day. Trump received 41% of the respondents’ backing. About 11% said they weren’t sure and 3% preferred not to vote.

In a three-way race, when Trump and DeSantis were to be joined by former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, the former president holds the edge, the survey found. About 38% said they would vote for Trump, compared to 35% for DeSantis and 11% for Haley.

Haley, who is of Indian origin, earlier served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under Trump. She is expected to announce her nomination in her home state next week, reports say.

See also: Elon Musk's Favored Candidate DeSantis Could Soon Join 2024 Presidential Race: Report

Why It’s Important: DeSantis, though has not officially announced his 2024 presidential bid, has reportedly begun the groundwork to do so. Bloomberg reported that the governor is likely to make an official announcement in late spring or early summer after the state legislative session ends.

The Yahoo! News/YouGov poll results were in line with the views expressed by Trump’s niece Mary Trump recently in her podcast. Her uncle has a kind of charisma that nobody else in the GOP field possesses, which makes him more dangerous, she said.

“I want to see him destroy them and himself in the process, that's what I'm hoping for,” Mary Trump said.

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Photo: Courtesy of Matt Johnson and Gage Skidmore on flickr