Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who weekly dishes up issues and victories on agenda items key to conservatives, has pulled into an approval rating tie with former President Donald Trump.
In the latest Rasmussen Reports survey, DeSantis and Trump are even with a 52% approval in the national poll of likely voters. And he surpasses Trump on the disapproval rating with 33% to the former president’s 45%.
Among those with a “very favorable impression” in the survey, it’s DeSantis over Trump 37%-35%, according to the analysis.
But with Republicans, it’s Trump, 83% favorable, to 76% favorable for DeSantis.
For over a year, DeSantis has been seen as the likely 2024 GOP nomination front-runner if the former president does not run again. However, Trump has been dropping strong hints of another try at the job held by President Joe Biden, who has pledged to run for reelection if Trump gets into the race.
Trump has led DeSantis in every 2024 poll. Rasmussen tested that matchup again and found Trump leading DeSantis by nearly 2-to-1. Asked who would win the nomination if both ran, 40% said Trump and 22% DeSantis. Nearly 40% said “neither” or “not sure.”
But in a GOP primary, only Republicans matter, and they chose Trump on that question, 59%-23%.
For sure, the recent polling has suggested that a Trump-DeSantis pairing in 2024 would be a powerful draw, though the former president would likely face pressure to pick a woman or a black person as a running mate, according to party advisers.
There have been some coarse words between the two camps, but both Florida residents have said that they remain friends and talk to each other over the phone.
