Donald Trump is down nine points among Republican primary voters nationally, according to a post-debate poll from Rasmussen Reports. The real estate magnate and reality TV star still leads the crowded primary field, but with 17 percent support Trump is down nine points from Rasmussen’s pre-debate poll in late July.
Tied for second place are Floridians Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio, who each have 10 percent support. That’s the exact same as Bush’s position in July but a five-point boost for Rubio. Close behind at nine percent are Scott Walker and Carly Fiorina. For Walker, that’s a five-point drop from July, but it’s an eight-point swing for Fiorina, who was at just one percent in July.
Despite early online polls showing Trump lost little from his debate performance on Thursday, the Rasmussen poll joins polls of Republican primary voters in Iowa and New Hampshire that suggest the Donald has been hurt by his performance. Rubio and Fiorina, meanwhile, seem to be gaining the most from their debate performances—especially remarkable for Fiorina, who was the clear favorite in the less-watched undercard debate.
According to the Real Clear Politics average of national polls, which has not yet included the Rasmussen results, Trump remains ahead of his Republican rivals with 24.3 percent support, with Bush in second at 12.5 percent and Walker in third at 9.5 percent.
