DeSantis leads Trump in key states for hypothetical primary contest: poll

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis leads former President Donald Trump in several states in a hypothetical GOP 2024 primary matchup, according to a polling memo.

WPA Intelligence conducted surveys for Club for Growth Action which found the Florida governor ahead of Trump in several battleground states, according to the Washington Examiner. In Florida, where both reside, DeSantis led with 56% support to Trump's 30% while commanding a still-strong 55% in Georgia to the former president's 35%.

MAGA, Inc. head Taylor Budowich rejected the survey results, asserting that Club for Growth was "consistently wrong" and that the group would not successfully challenge Trump in a prospective primary battle.

DeSantis enjoyed narrower, but still double-digit, leads in New Hampshire and Iowa.

The public tension between the two Republican figures has only grown in the wake of the GOP's disappointing midterm results wherein many Trump-backed candidates lost contests they were favored to win and the party failed to secure the Senate.

Trump, moreover, is expected to announce his 2024 bid for the presidency on Tuesday night and has attempted to dissuade DeSantis from challenging him for the party nomination.

DeSantis secured a second term as Florida's governor during the midterms, winning his bid by roughly 20% in the traditionally purple state. Separate polls have shown DeSantis gaining traction as a potential leader in place of Trump.