Simon Ateba is Chief White House Correspondent for Today News Africa covering President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. government, UN, IMF, World Bank and other financial and international institutions in Washington and New York.
Former President Donald Trump is widening his lead over Ron DeSantis in New Hampshire, while new candidates are gaining support in the 2024 Republican primary.
Trump holds 47% support, compared to DeSantis’ 19% in the latest Saint Anselm College poll released Tuesday. Other contenders like Chris Christie, Nikki Haley, and Tim Scott also see some backing. DeSantis has experienced a 10-point drop in support, while Trump’s support has increased by seven points since a previous poll.
However, in a hypothetical rematch against President Joseph R. Biden Jr., New Hampshire voters would choose Biden over Trump by a margin of 49% to 40%.
Concerns about the candidates’ ages were raised, and a significant majority believe that a Biden-Trump matchup signifies a broken system. Despite primary challengers, Biden remains popular among Democrats, with Robert Kennedy Jr. and Marianne Williamson receiving some support in the survey.
Here are 10 takeaways from the latest poll:
- Donald Trump is experiencing growth in his lead over Ron DeSantis in New Hampshire.
- Trump currently holds 47% support from voters in the state, while DeSantis has 19% support.
- Newcomers to the 2024 Republican primary, such as Chris Christie, Nikki Haley, and Tim Scott, are also gaining support from voters in New Hampshire.
- Other potential candidates for the Republican presidential nomination, including Vivek Ramaswamy, Mike Pence, Doug Burgum, and Asa Hutchinson, received minimal support in the survey.
- Compared to an earlier poll, DeSantis has seen a decline of 10 points in support, while Trump’s support has increased by seven points.
- Suppose a rematch between Trump and President Biden were to happen today. In that case, New Hampshire voters participating in the poll indicated they would vote for Biden over Trump, with a margin of 49% to 40%.
- Like DeSantis, Biden would also have more support than DeSantis in New Hampshire if they competed in a general election.
- Many respondents, including Republicans and Democrats, believe that a Biden-Trump matchup in 2024 signifies a broken system, with 83% disagreeing overall.
- Concerns about the age of the incumbent, Biden, were expressed by 70% of respondents, including 50% of Democrats, while 34% expressed concerns about the age of the former president, Trump.
- Despite facing primary challengers, Biden maintains a strong position among Democrats, with Robert Kennedy Jr. receiving 9% support and Marianne Williamson receiving 8% support in the survey.