With focus shifting to the 2024 presidential election, more voters would prefer to see Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis run instead of former President Trump, according to a Quinnipiac University poll conducted days after the former president announced his candidacy.
When asked who they would like to see win the 2024 GOP nomination in a hypothetical matchup between Trump and DeSantis, 43% said that they would like to see the Florida governor representing the party in 2024 while 29% would prefer Trump. Republican voters were evenly split (44% to 44%) between who they would like to see represent the party in the next election.
After former President Trump announced he will make a third bid for the presidency, 57% of adults in the poll said it was a bad move, while 34% support the former president’s decision.
About 37% of all respondents would like to see DeSantis run for president in 2024, with 44% hoping he decides not to run. The poll found that, among Hispanic voters, 34% would like Trump be the GOP’s nominee, and 29% would prefer DeSantis.
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According to the poll, only 25% of respondents would like to see President Biden seek another term in the White House, while a whopping 68% do not want him to run.
The poll also found that 51% of Democratic voters and 64% of Hispanics do not want the president to run in 2024. Only 36% of respondents approve of Biden’s handling of the presidency.
“An underwhelming welcome back to the political battlefield for Donald Trump comes with a mixed message. … Nearly 60% of Americans say they do not want to see him back in the Oval Office, but nearly half of Americans think it’s likely,” said Tim Malloy, Quinnipiac University’s polling analyst.
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“Too early to even suggest it’s a preview of 2024, but some 700 days out, Trump, who has thrown his hat into the ring, and DeSantis, who is holding his cards close to his chest, are in a dead heat among Republicans.”
The poll found that 37% of respondents have a favorable opinion of Trump, 33% have a favorable view of DeSantis and 28% view Vice President Kamala Harris in a positive light.
While inflation remains high, Biden received a 62% disapproval rating of his handling of the economy. The issue was of top concern to 35% of respondents, leading the poll as the most important issue to voters since April.
Among likely Republican voters, inflation was the most concerning issue to 54%, and 15% said immigration was the chief concern.
Climate change was one of the leading issues among likely Democratic voters at 16%. Gun violence was also of top concern to 16% of Democrats and inflation to 15%.
Inflation was the most important issue facing the country to 38% of independents with no other issues ranking in double digits.
The Quinnipiac University poll has a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points and was conducted from Nov. 16-20.