Staff Reports
The Republican presidential field is getting smaller, but former President Donald Trump is still ruling the roost with an iron Tweeting thumb. The idea that Trump’s support would dwindle as the competition dropped like hot potatoes is being put to the test as the Iowa caucuses and the first primary ballots draw near. There are only three serious contenders left: Trump, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley. These survivors are the cream of the crop after the other Republican hopefuls either dropped out or are polling lower than Trump’s approval rating.
The Republican presidential field is shrinking, but Trump's lead isn't https://t.co/sZw0OmBWag https://t.co/sZw0OmBWag
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) January 5, 2024
Some smarty pants thought that as the Republican field shrunk, Trump’s numbers would too, leaving room for a real competition for the nomination. But lo and behold, Trump is strutting about with just under 63% national support, stomping on everyone else like a political Godzilla. Even a 41-point lead is the political equivalent of the Empire State Building. Haley’s averaging 11% support to DeSantis’s 10.9%, which doesn’t even come close to matching Trump’s triumph.
Iowa is looking like Trump’s stomping ground, with him averaging 51.3% to DeSantis’s 18.6% and Haley’s 16.1%. That’s like a political triple-A battery — it just keeps going and going and going. New Hampshire is where Republicans thought they could gang up on Trump, but he’s still holding strong at less than 50% support, with Haley at 30%. Even with former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s 12% in the mix, Trump is still the big dog on the block.
Now, some folks are saying maybe the polls are off, or perhaps public opinion is more changeable than a fickle teenager. But as it stands, there’s no stopping the Trump train. Instead of uniting against the man himself, DeSantis and Haley seem to be splitting the vote. Trump’s lead is as big as ever, and the GOP presidential race is getting more predictable than Grandma’s meatloaf on Monday nights.
