Trump almost triples DeSantis for GOP nomination in post-indictment poll

Despite his unprecedented indictment, former President Donald Trump stands far ahead of his Republican rivals in the race for the party nomination in 2024.

Trump claimed the support of 58% of Republicans in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll. Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis distantly trailed with 21% support.

Conducted on Wednesday and Thursday of this week, the survey immediately follows Trump's Tuesday arraignment during which he pleaded not guilty to 34 counts stemming from a 2016 payment his then-personal attorney, Michael Cohen, made to Stormy Daniels.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has alleged that Trump had intent to defraud when making false business entries in which he recorded a payment he made to Cohen as a legal fee. Legal experts have derided the case as baseless and Trump himself has declared it a political witch hunt.

The indictment, ironically, appears to have benefited Trump somewhat, as his polling numbers have surged considerably over the week amid the legal proceedings. In a Reuters/Ipsos poll from Monday, Trump took 48% support from Republicans, meaning he has surged 10 points over the week.

Some of that surge may reflect Republican attitudes about the case's motivations. Seventy-six percent of Republicans indicated that at least some law enforcement officials are working against Trump for political reasons.

The survey questioned 1,004 U.S. adults, among them 368 Republicans. The margin of error for the Republican sample is +/- 6.3%.

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