Poll: Vivek Ramaswamy Has Momentum, Ties Ron DeSantis In GOP Primary As Trump Dominates Field

On Thursday, a new poll put out by Kaplan Strategies shows leading Republican presidential contender and 45th President Donald J. Trump dominating the competition. Meanwhile, presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy has surprisingly caught up with Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL).

The poll finds Trump grabbing 48 percent of the vote -- which is 36 percent more than his next closest competitors. Trump's numbers remain dominant in poll after poll, as his MAGA agenda resonates with patriotic Americans. As such, this appears to be Trump's race to lose -- he is the clear frontrunner for the Republican Presidential nomination.

Kaplan Strategies comments on the poll, writing, "The poll underscores the unwavering support President Trump holds within the GOP, despite the crowded field challenging him. Trump boasts a combined 69 percent favorability rating, leaving little room for uncertainty."

This follows the trajectory of many recent polls. A recent Premise Data poll showed Trump leading the Republican field by a large margin. Amongst the respondents, 58 percent of voters would like the Republican Party to nominate Trump for a third straight presidential run. Governor DeSantis follows considerably behind, with a measly 19 percent support -- only seven percent more support than in the Kaplan Strategies poll. 

This is no surprise. After all, Trump has been the frontrunner for virtually the entirety of the 2024 race. Nonetheless, what is surprising is how far DeSantis is behind the 45th president -- long considered his most competitive rival. While the poll finds DeSantis with a relatively comfortable 59 percent favorability among Republicans, he has failed to generate any momentum in the presidential race. That's mainly because Donald Trump has ten percent more favorability than DeSantis and has proven himself to Republican voters nationwide. 

Indeed, according to recent polling, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy is on the verge of overtaking DeSantis as the number two pick among Republican voters. The Kaplan Strategies poll shows both Vivek Ramaswamy and Ron DeSantis tied at 12 percent each. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ) and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) trail even further behind the 45th President, each getting five percent of the vote. 

Doug Kaplan, founder of Kaplan Strategies, commented on the results, saying, “Ramaswamy outperformed six other hopefuls by more than double, marking a significant surprise in this poll."

This poll is great news for Team Trump and a wake-up call for Team DeSantis. The DeSantis campaign needs to do something if they want to make the race even the slightest bit competitive -- because so far, it has been anything but.