DeSantis gains ground on Trump in hypothetical match-up: poll

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has gained ground in a hypothetical match-up against former President Trump, advancing 7 points in a new Politico-Morning Consult poll released Tuesday.

About 33 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents would back DeSantis if the 2024 party primary race was held today and 47 percent would support Trump.

While Trump enjoys a comfortable lead over DeSantis, in a previous Politico-Morning Consult poll this month, the former president was backed by 48 percent of Republicans, showing he has slipped 1 percentage point while DeSantis has climbed up from 26 percent.

In a similar August poll, Trump had the support of 57 percent of Republicans, while DeSantis had the backing of 18 percent.

The news comes as Trump is expected to possibly announce a 2024 presidential run on Tuesday, although allies in the Republican Party have cautioned him to hold off until the results of a runoff Senate race in Georgia is decided.

Support for Trump also appears to be waning after the GOP underperformed in the midterm elections.

DeSantis, a rising star in the Republican Party who has flirted with a White House bid in 2024, cruised to reelection on Election Day, beating his opponent by a roughly 20-point margin.

Trump has begun attacking his likely primary opponent, calling him an “average” governor.

DeSantis continues to gain ground in hypothetical polling and in one ABC News-Ipsos October poll, more Republicans trusted the Florida governor over Trump to chart the new path of the GOP.

The Politico-Morning Consult poll was conducted Nov. 10-14 among 1,983 registered voters. The margin of error is 2 percentage points.