In a new well-respected Iowa poll, President Donald Trump holds an overwhelming lead while Ron DeSantis edges slightly ahead of Nikki Haley in the all-but meaningless battle for second place.
The former president’s support now tops 50% in Iowa, where Trump has only strengthened his already overwhelming lead over Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis — neither of whom has fully broken away as the clear second choice.
A new Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa Poll shows 51% of likely Republican caucus goers pick Trump as their first choice for president. That’s up from 43% in an October Iowa Poll.
DeSantis, who was tied with Haley at 16% in October, has gained 3 percentage points to pull away from her in second place with 19%. Haley had seen a burst of momentum in Iowa between August and October, growing her share of support from 6% to 16% following well-received debate performances. In recent weeks, she has snagged a major endorsement from Americans For Prosperity Action, part of the Koch political network, and has amassed support from major donors looking for an alternative to Trump.
But those efforts have not resulted in a bump in the latest Iowa Poll, and she remains flat at 16% — even as other candidates have dropped out.
No other candidate tops 5%.
Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who says he is on track to campaign twice in each of Iowa’s 99 counties before Caucus Day, is in a distant fourth place at 5%.
That’s just a touch better than former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who has not campaigned in Iowa at all and sits at 4%.
Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who has not qualified to participate in the last three GOP debates, is at 1%. And Texas pastor Ryan Binkley is at 0% for the third straight poll.
While the rest of the field is largely stagnant, Trump’s hold on his front-runner status has only gotten stronger — even as his criminal trials advance and his legal fights come into sharper focus.
With five weeks until Caucus Day, there’s still room for movement, even as likely Republican caucusgoers begin cementing their decisions. Forty-nine percent of poll respondents say their minds are made up, while another 46% say they could still be persuaded to support another candidate.
More good news for Trump: According to the poll, 73% say they believe Trump can win against Biden, regardless of his legal challenges. That’s up from 65% in October.
And only 24% say Donald Trump’s legal challenges will make it nearly impossible for him to win an election against Joe Biden — down from 32% in October.