Donald Trump trails Ron DeSantis by 14% in latest poll as 2024 presidential questions mount

Former President Donald Trump is getting walloped by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in another poll of a potential 2024 Republican presidential primary matchup.

A month after his lackluster campaign launch, Trump has the backing of just 38% of likely GOP primary voters, compared with 52% for DeSantis in the Wall Street Journal poll published Wednesday.

The poll showed Trump leading among those who consider themselves “very conservative” and noncollege-educated voters while DeSantis is ahead among self-described “somewhat conservative” voters and those with a college degree.

The survey says 86% of Republicans hold a favorable view of DeSantis, a significantly higher number than the 71% who said the same about Trump. About 1,500 voters were surveyed with a margin of error of 2.5%.

Trump teased a “MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT” to be made on Thursday, saying on his social media site that “AMERICA NEEDS A SUPERHERO!”

The poll comes a day after a separate Suffolk University/USA Today poll showed DeSantis leading Trump by 23% among Republican and Republican-leaning voters.

Both polls tested Trump’s support in a hypothetical one-on-one matchup against DeSantis, as opposed to a likely crowded primary.

It’s difficult to predict how the involvement of other likely candidates, including former Vice President Mike Pence, might impact the two men’s support.

Trump is blamed by many political analysts on both sides of the aisle for the Republican flop in the midterm elections. His handpicked far right-wing candidates mostly lost, especially in key swing states, allowing Democrats to keep control of the Senate and limit their losses to a handful of seats in the House of Representatives.

“Hopefully in the next cycle we’ll have quality candidates everywhere and a better outcome,” Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told reporters.

Trump’s MAGA supporters counter that fellow Republicans are to blame by not backing his candidates strongly enough.

Taken together, the polls and widening criticism amount to serious red flags for Trump and his comeback White House bid, though DeSantis has not yet even said he will run for president.

[ DeSantis pushes for grand jury to probe COVID vaccines ]

The former president remains the most well-known figure in the Republican Party. DeSantis, on the other hand, is virtually untested on the national stage and has yet to show that he can take a punch if and when Trump attacks him.