May 15, 2023

"The ever-controversial former president's lead hasn't disappeared or even diminished in recent weeks, despite being charged with numerous crimes."

"In the most recent poll reading, Trump stands at 55% support, up from 47% in April and 51% in March. His nearest challenger, Ron DeSantis, claims 17% of the GOP's voters, down from 23% in April and 21% in March. Do the math: Trump has extended his lead over the popular Florida governor to 38 percentage points, versus 24 percentage points last month and 28 percentage points in March. No other Republican candidate reaches double-digit support."

From "Even Amid Trump's Legal Troubles, His Lead Widens: I&I/TIPP Trump leads DeSantis 55%-17% in the GOP Primary" (TIPP Insights).

The quote in the post title is grammatically bad — the "former president's lead" was not charged with crimes — but I'm using it anyway.

Biden has only 39% support on the Democratic side, and that's exactly the same as last month and despite his lack of a serious challenger. 9% of Democrats are for Bernie Sanders, but last I looked, Sanders has endorsed Biden. That's his closest competitor.

That puts Biden up by only 30 percentage points compared to Trump's 38 point lead over DeSantis. And Trump is gaining month by month, while Biden is losing ground. He was up by 34 points in March. 

64 comments:

Charles said...

Most of his supporters think that he is being persecuted. They do not thin he is guilty of any meaningful crime. So why woudl he lose support. They are just hardening them

tim maguire said...

The left, and especially the deep state has created a situation where the normal institutions of government are so distrusted that they have lost all moral power. We don't care that Trump was impeached. We don't care that Trump was indicted. We won't care if Trump gets convicted.

The people who did the impeaching, the indicting, and who may do the convicting have no credibility. They have no moral standing. They have more and bigger guns than we do and they've created a situation where they are more likely to have to use them because they abandoned everything else they were once able to rely on to encourage respect and compliance.

Limited blogger said...

The biased modifier 'controversial' is multiplied by the additional biased adjective 'ever-'.

Some fancy wordsmithing there.

rehajm said...

The ‘crimes’ he’s charged with are the reason you’re not seeing the results you’d like…

…and just in case Tump’s lead gets outside the margin of fraud you might want to discover an alternative to the We can’t have a criminal President argument you planned to make…

Skeptical Voter said...

As you get to know Joe better, you tend to think less of him. And I've had about as much of getting to know Joe as I want. No joke. Pray for the Republic.

Big Mike said...

Of course Trump is “ever-controversial.” The newsmedia have made a point of making him seem controversial for the past 9 years. There’s not much he can do about it, however I think his strategy of saying, in effect, that he’s the normal guy and it’s the lefty newsmedia and lefties in general who are abnormal is resonating with ever-larger segments of the population.

Ficta said...

"Despite being charged with numerous crimes." This is one of those quotes that would prompt James Taranto to reply "Fox Butterfield call your office". The naked abuse of the justice system against the leading candidate of the opposition party makes me more likely to vote for him.

Bob Boyd said...

"Charged" is the operative word here, and who is charging him, with what and why.
Trump's legal troubles are all of our legal troubles whether you like the man or not.

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

I call bullshit.

Michael K said...

Ann, you are outvoted. At least until the flood of Zuckerbucks starts.

What tim maguire said above is what I would say.

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

We have a criminal president NOW.

Yancey Ward said...

Yeah, I noticed the same grammatical error, and it is an error that is becoming more and more prevalent as time goes by. Such errors were very uncommon in a major newspaper as recent as 20 years ago.

Yancey Ward said...

Biden is a candidate waiting for an actual challenger. I think Robert Kennedy Jr. will run very well against Biden, and might even be able to take him down if no one else runs (I don't consider Williamson a real challenger). I think the moment a candidate with stature in the party, like Newsom, declares, Biden's support will melt away, and I believe this because Biden was unable to win a single primary anywhere until the party literally rigged the South Carolina primary for him in 2020, and then rigged the national election, too.

Trump is in a similar position as Biden, though- no real candidates are declared to be his opposition. Now, if DeSantis doesn't declare, then Trump will be the nominee- guaranteed. I still think DeSantis will defeat Trump if he runs, but I am less certain of that than I was 4 months ago. In any case, I know it doesn't matter- with mail in voting the Democrats literally can't lose in 2024.

mezzrow said...

Right now, with the outfit that is currently in charge of things, I'd settle for all of us just making it to the next election intact. One could make a case that DeSantis is America's only hope to avoid four more years of Donald Trump, but I don't expect anyone but RDS and his campaign to make it.

For the next eighteen months we are in the unrestrained hands of the administrative state and its internal needs and desires will determine what policies we will get to absorb. How's that been working for you the past couple of years or so? How will that administrative state react to another Trump victory, should it happen? Can it be allowed to happen? Should it be opposed? If so, by what means? There are people who will take extraordinary measures to prevent Trump becoming POTUS who may not reach that level of zealotry against any other human living today. That "ace in the hole" goes away if there is no Trump to oppose.

The rule of law will certainly be our protection, won't it? Won't it?

Drago said...

rehajm: "The ‘crimes’ he’s charged with are the reason you’re not seeing the results you’d like…"

You'd be surprised how many supposed rational Althousians have bought into these hoaxed up charges.

wendybar said...

Because they are all lies and conspiracy theories pushed by the Progressive media. Nobody believes them anymore except the same people who hate Trump because they trusted the Propaganda they spew.

Tregonsee said...

There are many reasons for this. For some, there is a deep understanding that Trump's first term was sabotaged in many shocking ways. No reasonable question about this. The 2020 election admits of a greater range of views, but there is more than enough information to be skeptical. Equity, to use a familiar term on the Left, calls for him to get a clean do over.
However, to paraphrase William F. Buckly, Jr, you should run the strongest MAGA candidate who can win. That would probably be a Trump/DeSantis ticket, but DJT's ego will not tolerate this.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

DNC-Media gaslighting just don't work like it used to. Does anything work like it used to?

Leland said...

We've gone from "Trump is a Russian Agent" to "Jury finds Trump sexually molested a grown woman sometime in the 90's" to the hopeful criminal complaint that "Trump fraudulently misrepresented payments to his lawyer as legal fees". The same DA going after Trump has ignored various forms of violent crime in his own city, which directly harms the people living in the city. At some point, even those voters are going to realize Trump is not their biggest problem, and Biden's 39% support will drop even more.

Drago said...

Flip-side Inga - Hunter Biden's tax payer funded Hooker: "I call bullshit."

Yes, you would.

traditionalguy said...

Interesting to see the real organized criminals in DC hooting and hollering that DJT is a criminal with no evidence at all except his popularity for telling the truth about them. Meanwhile the Communist Chinese who first bought up Biden are buying up the rest of world.

Drago said...

Tregonsee: "However, to paraphrase William F. Buckly, Jr, you should run the strongest MAGA candidate who can win. That would probably be a Trump/DeSantis ticket, but DJT's ego will not tolerate this."

I would argue you have it completely backward and it's DeSantis' globalist funders and GOPe advisor team that would never allow it.

If we've learned anything, Trump is always open to a new deal, regardless of past history with the counterparty.

Real American said...

Trump wasn't charged with numerous crimes. He was charged with one "crime" numerous times. There's a big difference.

WisRich said...

DeSantis better have gamed out his strategy of going after Trump. Trump is a street fighter. I'm not sure DeSantis is.

Original Mike said...

""The ever-controversial former president's lead hasn't disappeared or even diminished in recent weeks, despite being charged with numerous crimes.". (emphasis added)

You'd think they would have learned their lesson after two bogus impeachments. I don't think they can help themselves.

Dave Begley said...

The old inevitability trick.

Now do an Iowa poll in about two months after the GOP debate in Milwaukee. Vivek will have 20%.

gilbar said...

Fortunately for The Party*, it doesn't matter who votes.. What MATTERS Is: Who COUNTS the votes

The Party* "Everything in the Party, nothing outside the Party, nothing against the Party."

Wince said...

Has Vivek ever criticized Trump, or Trump Vivek?

I get a feeling of simpatico, as if VR by agreement is Trump's understudy.

John henry said...

Isn't rfk, currently at 15 percent or so, a"serious challenger"?

Remember 68 where lbj won new Hampshire but dropped out because of a non-serious challenger nipp at his heels?

And why would Bernie run as a Demmie? He has never raised money for the party, never spoken for candidates and generally never done nothing for demmies.

Why do they let him rn under their flag?

John Henry

Narayanan said...

how come all miss the purpose of this "Cassandra-ism' is to let D's know how much to fortify the fraud for 2024 election? and still claim to be politically sophistic-ated

Lloyd W. Robertson said...

Trump has his national following--probably moreso than DeSantis. It seems unlikely that Trump has anywhere to grow, whereas DeSantis has plenty of upside as they say. Name a bloc of voters who will switch to Trump. I was surprised to see senile guy grovelling on his knees at an HBC, telling various lies, to hang on to the black vote, almost the mirror image of Trump's hopes; but I doubt the black vote is switching, even though open borders and green energy probably fuck blacks up at least as much as anyone. Hispanics a mixed bag, and I guess that's why Texas and Florida are still purple. Where would Republicans be without those states? So then: name entire states in the Electoral College which are going to swing to Trump?

Can some independents be swayed by a kind of underdog effect--Trump's enemies trying to impose so many constraints on him, it's hardly a fair fight? Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron, but I hasten to add I'm not sure Trump has all that many virtues.

As far as I can tell, all the major prosecutions and other court actions against Trump skate very close to bills of attainder, which are specifically outlawed by the U.S. Constitution. This means passing a law, or imposing penalties, on one person or group, when you have no intention of applying this law in a fair way to similarly situated individuals or groups. J6: protestors treated much worse than other protestors or trespassers. Trump inciting violence or insurrection: bullshit. Trump trying to order state officials in Georgia to falsify ballots to help make his case for fraud: bullshit. Hush hush documents at Mar a Lago, be vewy vewy quiet, we will probably never hear any more about them.

Jean Carroll: New York State seems to have created a law, valid for only one year, specifically to allow Carroll to attack Trump's reputation over events alleged to have happened in the Clinton years, almost 30 years ago.



Kevin said...

You’ve heard of DWB?

Trump is being charged with BWT.

Breathing While Trump.

Ann Althouse said...

"Ann, you are outvoted."

What's that supposed to mean? How can I be outvoted when I haven't voted?

Temujin said...

All will become clear when DeSantis officially jumps in.

Left Bank of the Charles said...

It’s apples and oranges. That poll has 7% for Kamala Harris, 7% for Michelle Obama, 5% for Hillary Clinton, and 4% for Pete Buttigieg. The recent Rasmussen poll that only includes people who are running has Biden up 43%. By the same token, how much does Trump’s lead count when DeSantis hasn’t even declared yet?

wendybar said...

"That would probably be a Trump/DeSantis ticket, but DJT's ego will not tolerate this."

Neither will DeSantis's

n.n said...

Trump's legal tribbles: hell hath no furry like a woman pleading unrequited rape.

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
wendybar said...

And now the Biden Administration is intimidating whistleblowers to shut them up...

They are traitors, and need to be dealt with. HOW the hell is this happening in America??

https://legalinsurrection.com/2023/05/rep-comer-nine-of-10-whistlebowers-in-biden-family-business-investigation-are-missing-wh-intimidating-them/

PB said...

If trump gets the nominee, expect him to be arrested, held without bail and for court proceedings to be held during election season.

Free Manure While You Wait! said...

When did we start believing polls again?

boatbuilder said...

But nobody shows up at his rallies, right?

SteveWe said...

Grammar-wise, "Trump" should precede "being charged." But, WTH given today's public schools spending so much time teaching "social studies" instead of the three R's.

Jupiter said...

"— the "former president's lead" was not charged with crimes — "

Maybe not yet, but you know there are some Soros prosecutors working on it. How is a former president's lead like a ham sandwich?

Jupiter said...

"How can I be outvoted when I haven't voted?"
How can you not be outvoted, when you haven't voted and someone else has?

Wilbur said...

I note the headline writer chose "Even amid" instead of "Despite". Why? To try to avoid the Fox-Butterworth slam?

It's not hard for people to figure out that Alvin Bragg filed these charges to attempt to further the career of Alvin Bragg.

Hillary!, Kamala and Michelle all poll at 7%. Dems slaver over the notion of Michelle running. I don't think she will.

Ann Althouse said...

“ How can you not be outvoted, when you haven't voted and someone else has?”

Because I have refrained from taking a side.

If there’s a race and I’m sitting on the sidelines, no one is outrunning me. I’m not participating.

Pianoman said...

The Proles aren't doing as they are told to by their Betters.

How utterly shocking.

Narayanan said...

If there’s a race and I’m sitting on the sidelines, no one is outrunning me. I’m not participating.
========
if silence is acquiescing then so also not participating?!

Narayanan said...

All will become clear when DeSantis officially jumps in.
=========
how will LawFare unseal his travel records against FL law? will it be easier or harder to do than divorce files unsealed by Obama against Senate opponent ?

Drago said...

Wince: "Has Vivek ever criticized Trump, or Trump Vivek?

I get a feeling of simpatico, as if VR by agreement is Trump's understudy."

Vivek appears to have a clear understanding that the ONLY path forward for future republican majorities in national elections is the full embrace of economic populism and plain America First policies across the board.

That's where DeSantis' funders and advisors are going to drag Ron down just like they did with Jeb(!), Scott Walker and Ted Cruz.

Michael K said...


Blogger Ann Althouse said...

"Ann, you are outvoted."

What's that supposed to mean? How can I be outvoted when I haven't voted?


As usual, your commenters disagree with your take on current events. We all know what side you are on.


Blogger PB said...

If trump gets the nominee, expect him to be arrested, held without bail and for court proceedings to be held during election season.


Oh, I can see that as a realistic ploy. Especially if his lead increases.

William said...

I wouldn't use "despite being charged" but rather "because of his being charged with bullshit crimes". That's a more even handed and objective way of describing the situation. They at long last have found a jury to enter a judgement against him, and the charge has about the same amount of substantiation as the allegations of hookers pissing on the mattress.....Maybe it's all some kind of Machiavellian plot. I will vote for Trump over Biden, but I'm not so sure Trump can win the election. There are people who really, really hate him. Just look at that jury verdict. For that matter look at Pence and Pompeo and others. Trump doesn't get a lot of solid support in places where a Republican needs support and, as noted, there are many whose hatred of him is unhinged.

Iman said...

Given that the Durham Report was just issued, review it and remember who the REAL, mendacious, bent corksoakers are.

Four F*cking Years of attacks and hamstringing the winner of the 2016 election that continued through the 2020 election and are still happening today. All by the people that gnash their teeth and rend their garments about attacks on our democracy.

Iman said...

“Vivek appears to have a clear understanding that the ONLY path forward for future republican majorities in national elections is the full embrace of economic populism and plain America First policies across the board.”

I wholeheartedly agree and well said, sir!

Inga said...

"Ann, you are outvoted."-MK
————————————-
“What's that supposed to mean? How can I be outvoted when I haven't voted?”-AA
————————————-
“As usual, your commenters disagree with your take on current events. We all know what side you are on.”-MK
—————————————————————-

“We all know what side you are on”…

This is downright creepy, with a whiff of some vague threat. Really old guy trying to intimidate the blog owner? Michael K just can’t stand anyone having a different opinion than him, even if it’s Althouse herself.

Dude1394 said...

Being the target of a corrupt justice system is a badge of honor. Thinking that ANYONE will take anything said by the democrat propaganda media as true is moronic.

Michael said...

Jeb Bush led the polls at this point in the last race. As a point of reference.

Narayanan said...

there are many whose hatred of him is unhinged.
]]]]
unhinged ===>>> projection and defense mechanism against self loathing?

Jupiter said...

"If there’s a race and I’m sitting on the sidelines, no one is outrunning me. I’m not participating."

In Union of American Socialist Respublics, sidelines sit on you!

rcocean said...

Trump is ALWAYS "controversial". Democrats are NEVER controversial.

Bunkypotatohead said...

I'm curious to see how the deep state arranges to have Trump assassinated while pinning the blame on a white supremacist.

PJ said...

Has Vivek ever criticized Trump, or Trump Vivek?

I have heard Vivek say, in response to a specific invitation from an interviewer to criticize anything about Trump, that Trump failed to do anything to restrain runaway federal spending, and in fact made his own contributions to that problem. To which I say, “Vivek 2024.”

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

PJ-
"I have heard Vivek say, in response to a specific invitation from an interviewer to criticize anything about Trump, that Trump failed to do anything to restrain runaway federal spending, and in fact made his own contributions to that problem. To which I say, “Vivek 2024.”

Drago "gets has a feeling" Vivek is loyal to Trump. LOL - ooops.