Voters who will make the first call in the 2024 Republican nomination race believe Donald Trump’s policies on everything from abortion and immigration to gender ideology are “about right,” according to a new poll by ” be.
It shows the difficulties his opponents will face on Wednesday as they gather for the first debate of the race and try to recapture the absent leader.
Only 13 percent believe Trump is “too liberal” on abortion; nine percent think he is too liberal on immigration; and just 6 percent think he’s being too lenient on Social Security.
That means rivals like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis or Sen. Tim Scott have little room to outflank him on the right, even on issues where Trump takes an untraditional line for a conservative.
And it might explain why DeSantis is having a hard time gaining traction with a campaign that prioritizes the war on waking.
JL Partners interviewed 600 likely Republican caucus attendees in Iowa August 2-7. The results show an error rate of +/- four percent
Former President Donald Trump said he will not be attending Wednesday’s debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Then the other candidates have to think about how to curb his lead
“Participants in Wednesday’s debate will have their sights set on Trump — whether he’s there or not,” said James Johnson, co-founder of JL Partners, which conducted the poll.
“One line of attack that we think candidates are aiming for is attacking the former president from the right on issues like abortion, transgenderism or social security.” But Trump has a wall of defense in front of voters.
His company interviewed 600 likely Republican caucus attendees in Iowa August 2-7.
The state is decisive for the chances of the candidates and can decide whether an election campaign succeeds or fails. She will be the first to choose a preferred candidate when Republicans gather on January 15.
“The vast majority of Republican voters think Trump is taking the right approach on these issues — and very few say he’s either too liberal or too conservative on this issue,” Johnson said.
“Whether they come from the left or the right, the other candidates are unlikely to take a hit on Trump’s political positions.”
The results show that a majority think Trump’s positions on five key issues are about right.
Its weakest area is “gender ideology”. About 16 percent consider it too liberal.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (left) and Sen. Tim Scott are hoping Wednesday’s debate will help them claim clear second place and position them as the best pick to beat Trump
JL Partners interviewed 600 likely Republican caucus attendees in Iowa August 2-7. The results show an error rate of +/- four percent
But on Social Security, only 6 percent thought Trump was too liberal. This suggests that the likes of DeSantis, who have taken the traditional conservative position of cutting entitlements as part of a package of spending cuts, are more vulnerable.
The results highlight how Trump has managed to capture a large chunk of the Republican base.
And on an issue like abortion, this suggests that his strategy of moving left while flaunting his conservative stance is working.
He frequently reminds voters that he is responsible for appointing the three conservative Supreme Court justices who provided the crucial votes to overturn the Roe v. Wade case, ending constitutional abortion rights.
At the same time, however, he tried to avoid the topic during the Republican primary, saying Florida’s new six-week abortion ban was “too harsh.”
Polls for suggest this has given him an exceptional lead among Republican women in key early states. In New Hampshire, he has a 26-point lead over DeSantis in the women’s, compared to nine points in the men’s.
He explained the approach at a Fox News citizens’ event when he said that ideological purity is less important than winning elections.
Former Vice President Mike Pence has launched attacks over Trump’s reluctance to support a federal abortion ban, but analysts say he’s had a hard time gaining traction
Polling data from three states show that Donald Trump has a far greater lead among women than men in a head-to-head with Ron DeSantis
“I happen to belong to the Ronald Reagan school when it comes to exceptions where you have mother’s life, rape and incest,” he told host Sean Hannity.
“It works very well for me, probably 80, 85 percent, because don’t forget, we have to win elections.”
Former Vice President Mike Pence has already signaled that he wants to attack Trump during the debate for not supporting a federal abortion ban.
But the problems are only part of the problem for Trump’s challengers, according to Larry Jacobs, director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota.
He said Trump’s rejection of the political status quo and the Washington establishment is at the heart of his appeal.
“That’s a really tough candidate for someone like DeSantis or some of the others,” he said.
At the same time, he appeared to be aligned with proponents on key policy areas such as abortion.
“You’d think that’s a problem Trump will have to deal with.” “Mike Pence tried to take advantage of that, but it didn’t work,” he said.
“Trump has been careful with his language, although at times it comes across as wild rhetoric.” “He shows a real ease with jaded areas where he may not be in alignment with Republicans.”