Republican Voters Increasingly Prefer DeSantis to Trump, Polls Find

A 56% majority of Republican-leaning voters prefer Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to former President Donald Trump in a potential 2024 presidential primary, a USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll found. Just 33% supported Trump. 

Additional Findings: A Wall Street Journal (Center bias) poll found a similar margin among likely GOP primary voters, with 52% preferring DeSantis and 38% preferring Trump. Meanwhile, a CNN (Left bias) poll found that 62% of Republican-leaning voters supported Trump’s policies, but wanted a different 2024 candidate. On the other hand, 59% of Democratic-leaning voters wanted President Joe Biden’s policies from a different candidate. However, the USA TODAY (Lean Left bias) poll found that Biden’s 2024 lead over Trump widened, from 46%-42% in October to 47% to 40%. 

One Poll Disagrees: Polls by Morning Consult have shown Trump leading DeSantis and other potential candidates by a substantial margin, most recently by 49% to 31%. Others received much less support; in December, 8% backed former Vice President Mike Pence and 2% supported Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.). 

How the Media Covered It: Coverage was mostly balanced and common across the spectrum, particularly among outlets that cover national politics. Coverage often described Republican internal politics as a “rivalry” between Trump and DeSantis.