New polling of Republicans nationally shows Donald Trump with his biggest lead of the year against Ron DeSantis.
In the Harvard-Harris Poll conducted April 18 and April 19, the former President commands 55% support among Republicans, with the Florida Governor taking just 20% in a crowded field. Former Vice President Mike Pence‘s 7% is good for third place.
Month over month, Trump is up 5 points over his March performance, and DeSantis is down 4 points.
This continues a trend of voters coalescing around Trump in this survey. In January, the former President led DeSantis 48% to 28%. The lead was 23 points in February and 26 points in March.
But the most recent survey accounts for a Trump bump surrounding his indictment and arrest in New York for an alleged “catch and kill” scheme to squash unflattering stories back in 2016.
In a hypothetical two-way race, Trump leads DeSantis 61% to 39%, another reflection of the Anybody But Trump allure fading that the Florida Governor had. Time will tell if that holds.
The polling finds that the controversial Heartbeat Protection Act, which bans abortion after the sixth week of pregnancy with limited exceptions for rape, incest, and human trafficking victims, doesn’t matter to voters. Nearly half (48%) say it has no effect on their willingness to support DeSantis, while 32% say it makes them more likely to back the Governor, and 21% say it diminishes their willingness to support him.
The Governor’s war against The Walt Disney Co. appears to be a net positive, with 56% of all respondents saying it makes them more likely to back DeSantis, and 44% taking the opposite position. Among Republicans, support climbs to 73% for the anti-Disney stance.
This survey was conducted online within the United States from April 18-19, 2023 among 1,845 registered voters by The Harris Poll and HarrisX.
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