Staff Reports
Liberals have been squawking nonstop about the dwindling numbers in the Republican presidential field. They’ve been praying to their Bernie Sanders shrine every night, hoping that the departure of some candidates would mean the downfall of former President Donald Trump. However, it seems like their prayers have fallen on deaf ears.
The Republican presidential field is shrinking, but Trump's lead isn't https://t.co/sZw0OmBWag https://t.co/sZw0OmBWag
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) January 5, 2024
With less than two weeks until the Iowa caucuses and the first primary ballots being cast, the Republican race is heating up. Despite the triumphant exit of candidates, Trump’s lead remains unscathed. The thought that Trump’s support would wither away as the competition fizzled out has been nothing but wishful thinking.
Now, the only contenders that matter are the golden-haired champion himself, Trump, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, and the formidable former United Nations Ambassador, Nikki Haley. The rest of the GOP hopefuls have either thrown in the towel or are stuck in the single digits in the polls.
Liberal pundits and political operatives have been yapping about how Trump’s support would collapse, leaving just the die-hard MAGA fans behind. Trump is still sitting pretty with nearly 63% national support. In fact, since December, Trump has never fallen below 60% in national polls, and has often soared far above that mark.
In the midst of all this, Haley manages to snag an average of 11% support, while DeSantis nabs 10.9%. But even combined, they can’t break through the supposed 35% barrier that was supposed to cap Trump’s popularity.
And let’s talk about Iowa. Trump is leading with an average of 51.3%, while DeSantis and Haley trail far behind. Not even close, folks. New Hampshire could have been the glimmer of hope for Trump’s opponents, but even there, he’s hanging on strong with less than 50% support. The idea of unity against Trump seems almost laughable at this point.
But of course, there’s still that one persistent brick in the shoe – former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. He’s somehow managed to stir up 12% support, which would be impressive if it weren’t for the fact that Trump is still towering above him with 44%.
The possibility of Christie dropping out and throwing his weight behind Haley might make things interesting, but it seems like Christie isn’t ready to hang up his hat just yet. Who knows what lies ahead for DeSantis in Iowa, but at this point, it almost feels like a lost cause.
Maybe the polls are mistaken, or perhaps the public opinion is just as fickle as ever. But one thing is certain – the Republican presidential field is now smaller than ever, and Trump’s lead is larger than ever. Instead of rallying behind one challenger, it seems like anti-Trump voters have split their support between DeSantis and Haley.
