Quinnipiac Poll: Trump Still Ahead of DeSantis in 2024 Matchup

Former President Donald Trump remains just ahead of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a head-to-head matchup for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, according to a new survey from Quinnipiac University Poll.

Trump holds support from just over half of Republicans and GOP-leaning voters, while DeSantis retains support from about four-in-10.

Trump sits at 52%, DeSantis at 42%.

However, when the survey includes 15 potential or declared candidates for the nomination:

• Trump: 47%.
• DeSantis: 33%.
• Former Vice President Mike Pence: 5%.
• Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley: 4%.

No other candidate received more than 2 percent of the vote, which Quinnipiac notes is largely unchanged from the results of its previous poll released earlier this month.

“Is the raucous Trump political resurrection adrift? Not in the least. DeSantis appears to be treading water and the long list of ‘wannabes’ and ‘could bes’ are barely staying afloat,” said Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy.

The poll also found that most voters said that Trump should be disqualified from running for president again if criminal charges are filed against him.

• 57% of all voters say criminal charges should disqualify Trump if filed.
• 38% of all voters say criminal charges should not disqualify him.
• 88% of Democrats say criminal charges should disqualify Trump.
• 55% of independents say criminal charges should disqualify Trump.
• 23% of Republicans say criminal charges should not disqualify Trump.
• 8% of Democrats say criminal charges should not disqualify Trump.
• 36% of independents say criminal charges should not disqualify Trump.
• 75% of Republicans say criminal charges should not disqualify Trump.

“Yes, say Americans, it was all about him and not the country’s well-being when Trump proclaimed he was targeted for arrest. And, yes he should be forever banished from office if he is charged as a criminal,” Malloy noted.

Quinnipiac University Poll surveyed 1,788 adults from across the country from March 23-27, 2023 with a margin of error of +/- 2.3 percentage points, this includes 671 Republicans and voters who lean Republican, and that sample had a margin of error of +/- 3.8 percentage points.