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Former President Donald Trump now leads his nearest Republican rivals by nearly 30 points in Iowa, with two-thirds of likely GOP caucusgoers dismissing the severity of his legal challenges, according to the second NBC News/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll of the state conducted by J. Ann Selzer.
The survey also finds former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley moving up to a tie for second place with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, both of whom remain popular with Iowa Republicans ahead of the Jan. 15 GOP caucuses.
Yet the poll shows Trump’s supporters are more enthusiastic and locked into their choice than Haley’s and DeSantis’ backers are, even as likely Republican caucusgoers are divided over whether Trump should remain the leader of the GOP.
“My life was a lot better when Trump was in office. I felt safe; things were cheaper; he helped out the farmers and my parents. Things were better — plain and simple,” said poll respondent Kendall Pelzer, 53, of Bettendorf, Iowa, who says he’s caucusing for Trump.
Selzer, who has been conducting polls of Iowa over the last three decades, said: “This is a good poll for Donald Trump. For all the things that happened between the last poll and now, he’s still the dominant player in the field, and his standing has, in fact, improved from August.”
The NBC News/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll of Iowa was conducted Oct. 22 through Thursday amid another volatile period in the 2024 election cycle — as war rages in the Middle East, as Trump encounters additional challenges in the courtroom and as the GOP field prepares for its next presidential debate on Nov. 8.
According to the poll, 43% of likely Republican caucusgoers pick Trump as their first-choice candidate, while 16% choose DeSantis and another 16% select Haley.
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