Despite his ever-growing legal issues, Donald Trump, former president of the United States has continued to be at the forefront of his party politically.
In the latest Monmouth University poll conducted for The Washington Post, Trump leads by 28 points with 46% support, while Haley has surged to 18%, and Scott has hit double digits, at 10%.
54% of all GOP primary voters say Trump is at least probably the best candidate to defeat President Joe Biden, including 35% who say he is the best GOP candidate to defeat Biden.
The full South Carolina GOP primary results:
Trump, 46%
Haley, 18%
Scott, 10%
DeSantis, 9%
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, 5%
Former Vice President Mike Pence, 3%
Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, 3%
Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, 2%
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, less than 1%
According to Monmouth University pollster Patrick Murray, Donald tends to pull engagement.
“Trump’s advantage in the poll results may actually be understated because his backers tend to be more engaged, and thus may have a higher likelihood of turning out, compared with other potential voters,” Murray wrote in his analysis. “For example, 87% of Trump voters claim to be certain to vote in the February primary, compared with 69% of other candidates’ supporters who say the same.
“Also, 76% of Trump voters are extremely motivated to vote in the primary, which is far greater than supporters of other candidates (46%). Among those who have a strong track record of turning out for GOP primaries, 54% support Trump.
“Trump voters (76%) are also much more likely than those backing another candidate (33%) to say they are definitely supporting their current choice. Nearly all Trump voters (93%) feel their candidate is the strongest Republican to take on President Joe Biden in 2024.
“Interestingly, 1 in 5 (20%) voters who are currently backing other GOP candidates for the nomination agree with that assessment.”