After skipping debate, Trump maintains 45-point lead over primary opponents

Former President Donald Trump's decision to skip the Republican National Committee's first primary debate last week appears to have not impacted his standing in the party primary, with the ex-commander-in-chief holding on to a solid lead against his opponents.

Trump claimed the support of 59% of registered voters in the latest The Messenger/HarrisX survey. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took second with 14% while tech mogul Vivek Ramaswamy took 8%. Former Vice President Mike Pence got 6% support, compared to former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley's 3%. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott each got 2%.

Despite warnings from RNC leaders that Trump might come to regret not participating in the debates, his poll numbers appear impacted little by the move.

Conducted Aug. 24-26, the survey questioned 685 registered voters. On average, he boasts a 40.8% lead, according to RealClearPolitics.

The survey also found President Joe Biden edging out Trump in a head-to-head matchup, claiming 45% to his 44%. Biden's job approval stood at 43%.

In Trump's absence, however, one candidate appeared to shine through on the debate stage: tech mogul Vivek Ramaswamy. A plurality of Republican debate watchers, 37%, viewed him as the winner of the debate, compared to 19% who favored DeSantis, and 10% who said Haley performed the best.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.