New poll underscores a major Trump problem for GOP presidential hopefuls

A new poll offering insight into Republican voters' outlook for the upcoming presidential election signals a major problem for the political party if it hopes to replace former President Donald Trump.

Polling USA's assessment of a collection of polls conducted since November 2021 suggests Trump is still widely supported by the Republican Party as a potential presidential candidate for 2024.

According to Newsweek, Trump appears to hold an average of 54% of Republican voters' support across multiple polls. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) trails behind him at 16% and former Vice President Mike Pence is third in line with just 7.8% of voter support.

A Harvard CAPS/Harris poll, based on 1,815 registered voters, also produced similar results, showing "Trump has the backing of 57 percent of Republican voters to be the next GOP candidate for the 2024 election, with DeSantis and Pence polling at 12 percent and 11 percent, respectively."

A YouGov poll conducted back in December also showed that 55% of Republican voters still favored Trump and 20% favored DeSantis. The latest results come as the Republican Party fights to rebuild after losing the 2020 presidential election. For those looking to distance from Trumpism, the polls signal a major problem that Republicans. DeSantis has been seem as a top contender against Trump, but poll results might suggest he isn't as strong of a candidate as Republicans hope.

The results come amid growing speculation about a possible rift between Trump and DeSantis. Over the last several weeks, DeSantis has become more vocal about his disapproval of some of the decisions the former president made while in office. However, Trump has denied the speculation.

Speaking to Fox News' Sean Hannity earlier this month, Trump said, "I have a very good relationship with Ron and I intend to have it for a long time."

DeSantis' press secretary Christina Pushaw also echoed similar sentiments. In a statement obtained by Newsweek, Pushaw said, "It is not a coincidence that this fabricated media narrative emerged during perhaps the worst week of Biden's presidency, as it became clear last week that Biden would not be able to deliver on Build Back Better, enact sweeping legislation to federalize elections, or 'shut down the virus,' as he had promised repeatedly during the 2020 campaign."