TEXAS — Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday is set to make what’s he's called a major announcement, and it’s widely anticipated he’ll seek the White House again in 2024.
If the results of a new poll are any indication, he may not enjoy as much support among Texas Republicans as he did in the past.
A poll that surveyed Texas Republicans Nov. 12-13 indicates a great deal more support in a hypothetical primary for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Forty-three percent of likely voters supported DeSantis, compared to 32% for Trump.
Other names in the mix include former Vice President Mike Pence who garnered 5%, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Hailey with 4%, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott with 1% and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, also with 1% support. Thirteen percent of respondents were undecided.
DeSantis got even more support in the event that Trump doesn’t run. In that case 66% of respondents favored him. That was followed by Pence with 8%. Sixteen percent of respondents said that in this scenario they remain undecided.
Republicans last week publicly criticized Trump following an unexpectedly poor showing in the midterm elections.
Virginia’s Republican lieutenant governor, Winsome Earle-Sears, once a vocal Trump supporter, said voters had sent “a very clear message” Tuesday that ”enough is enough.”
“The voters have spoken and they have said that they want a different leader. And a true leader understands when they have become a liability,” she said in an appearance on Fox Business. “A true leader understands that it’s time to step off the stage. It is time to move on.”
Earle-Sears, who served as co-chair of a group called Black Americans to Re-elect President Trump in 2020, also said she “just couldn’t” support another Trump campaign.
At the same time, DeSantis, who easily won reelection Tuesday, is gaining new attention as Republicans openly weigh moving on from Trump.
The Texas poll included 1,099 respondents and has a margin of error of ±2.96%.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.