Despite pending legal entanglements, recent polling shows former President Donald Trump continues to dominate the Republican primary field, though one political outsider is showing signs of in increased traction.
According to a recent survey of more than 2,000 registered voters conducted by the Center for American Political Studies at Harvard University, Trump continues to maintain support among a majority of the Republican electorate, while businessman Vivek Ramaswamy is starting to make a name for himself among conservatives.
“Trump is a clear favorite in a prospective GOP primary despite losing some ground; DeSantis remains the runner up but losing steam to Ramaswamy,” pollsters wrote.
According to the survey, conducted July 19 and 20, the former president, who’s facing charges in a pending federal documents case and another business records case in New York, holds sway among 52% of conservatives. That’s down seven-points from last month but still a full 40-points ahead of the next leading Republican, Florida Gov. Ron. DeSantis at 12%.
“The more people get to know Ron DeSanctimonious, the lower his polls are going,” the 45th President of the United States wrote on his Truth social media platform shortly after sharing the Harvard poll, using a nickname for the Republican governor of the Sunshine State.
Trump did not mention Ramaswamy, a Harvard and Yale educated entrepreneur from Cincinnati, who seems to have swallowed what support the former president has lost, surging upwards eight-points to 10%.
The poll, according to the 37-year-old’s campaign, was all that was remaining in order for Ramaswamy to meet the Republican National Committee’s fundraising and polling criteria for debate qualification.
His campaign says he hit the fundraising requirements back in May, and with more than a dozen Republicans chasing the nomination and the up-and-coming candidate’s place on the debate stage all but assured, Ramaswamy used the poll as an opportunity and issued a statement drawing a line in the sand for his fellow conservatives.
“The RNC’s debate stage criteria are stringent but fair. I am a first-time candidate who started with very low name ID, no political donors, and no pre-existing fundraising lists. If an outsider can clear the bar, politically experienced candidates should be able to as well: if you can’t hit these metrics by late August, you have absolutely no chance of defeating Joe Biden in the general election,” he said.
It is unclear if Trump would participate in any debate held by the RNC or any other organization. He has frequently suggested he might not bother. On Sunday, the former president used his social media platform to share someone else’s assertion he should spend the evening of the first debate engaged in a one-on-one interview with ex-Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
“Interesting? So many people have suggested this,” he wrote, providing no further examples.