Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has slipped even further in the latest poll of the potential Republican primary field, with former President Trump maintaining his strong lead over the rest of the pack of candidates.
DeSantis, who has yet to officially launch a campaign, garnered 16 percent support from Republican primary voters in the new survey by Emerson College, a 9-point slip from February.
Trump’s support in the poll, 62 percent, jumped from two months ago, when he had 55 percent support.
Trump and DeSantis — who have garnered the most traction in polling — were trailed by former Vice President Mike Pence, who has 7 percent support. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson all garnered 3 percent or less in the poll.
The bump for Trump and slide from DeSantis comes after the former president was arrested and charged with 34 felonies last month for allegedly falsifying business records, making him the first sitting or former president to face criminal charges.
DeSantis, who has visited primary states and kicked off a foreign tour in recent weeks, has faced criticism from his supporters for waiting so long to officially jump into the race.
Trump and his allies have framed the charges against him as a political witch hunt, with his polling in the GOP primary jumping in the immediate aftermath. He has also confronted DeSantis head-on, attacking his record in Florida and his past policy positions on Social Security and Medicare.
DeSantis has been more coy when confronting the former president, criticizing his leadership style but largely steering clear of clashes with Trump.
The poll from Emerson College included 445 GOP primary voters between April 24 and April 25, with a margin of error of 4.6 percent.