Trump surges to 40-point lead over DeSantis, Vivek in third: poll

Former President Donald Trump has amassed a considerable lead over his Republican rivals, surging ahead of nearest rival Ron DeSantis by 40-points, a recent survey has revealed.

In the latest Harvard/Harris survey, Trump claimed the support of 52% of the Republican electorate, a 7-point decline from the last poll, though Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis still trailed with 12%.

The most significant movement came from tech mogul Vivek Ramaswamy, who surged 8 points to secure 10% support overall, closing in on the second-place slot. Ramaswamy also appears to be gaining traction as a second choice for Trump supporters.

Nineteen percent said they would back him should Trump not run, a 12-point jump from the survey's prior iteration. Conversely, Ron DeSantis witnessed a 12-point decline in second-choice status, with 29% saying they would pick him if Trump did not run.

The electorate generally expects that Trump will win the primary, however, with 54% of registered voters overall suspecting he will triumph in the race. Among Republicans, that figure stood at 74%.

In the general election, Trump would defeat Biden by a 45%-40% margin, while DeSantis would edge out the incumbent 41%-40%.

Conducted from July 19-20, the survey questioned 2,068 registered voters.

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