Trump leads the GOP field despite legal woes
According to a CBS News/YouGov poll of likely Republican primary voters, former President Donald Trump has a commanding lead over his potential rivals for the 2024 GOP nomination, despite facing his fourth indictment in Atlanta last week. The poll, conducted from Aug. 16 to 18, found that 62% of the respondents supported Trump, while 16% backed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who dropped 7 percentage points from a CBS poll in June. Trump polled 61% in the earlier survey.
The poll also showed that Trump’s base remains loyal to him, even as he faces mounting legal challenges. A 19-person indictment in Atlanta accuses him and his top aides of trying to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia by pressuring state officials and spreading false claims of fraud. However, 77% of the poll respondents said they view the indictment as “politically motivated” and not based on evidence.
Trump snubs GOP debate and plans rival event
Trump has been using his legal troubles as a campaign tool, portraying himself as a victim of a “witch hunt” by the Democrats and the media. He has also been trying to undermine the credibility of the first Republican primary debate, scheduled for Wednesday in Milwaukee, by questioning the point of participating in it, given his polling lead. He has not confirmed whether he will attend the debate, which is organized by the Republican National Committee (RNC) and moderated by Fox News.
Instead, Trump is expected to hold a rival event on the same day, featuring an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson on his Truth Social platform. A spokesperson for Trump said Friday that the plans were not finalized yet, but Trump has already promoted the interview on his platform, along with the CBS poll headline that said “GOP voters dismiss indictments.”
Trump was also absent from a showcase of Republican presidential candidates in Atlanta over the weekend, after conservative radio host Erick Erickson said he wanted the gathering to give space to other hopefuls. RNC chair Ronna McDaniel said on Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures that she is “still holding out hope that President Trump will come” to the debate.
Other candidates struggle to gain traction
The CBS poll revealed that none of the other potential candidates for the GOP nomination have gained much support from the Republican voters. Seven candidates received single-digit support, including businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, former Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina.
Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, who has been a vocal critic of Trump, announced on Sunday that he has qualified for the debate after meeting the donor and poll-number requirements. He said on CNN’s State of the Union that he will also sign an RNC pledge to support the party’s eventual 2024 nominee for president. “I’m confident that Donald Trump is not going to be the nominee of the party,” Hutchinson said.
A person familiar with the debate qualification process said Sunday that the RNC has not verified Hutchinson’s donors yet and has not signed the pledge. The RNC has also not released the official list of participants for the debate.
The poll respondents cited lowering inflation, reducing crime and stopping illegal immigration as the top issues they would like to hear candidates discuss on Wednesday.
