Trump surges in polling ahead of possible arrest

Former President Donald Trump is surging in popularity ahead of his possible arrest in connection with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's investigation into his 2016 payment to Stormy Daniels.

Trump announced Saturday that he expects to be arrested on Tuesday, though legacy media outlets were speculating such a development might occur much earlier, amid reports that he received an offer to appear before the grand jury handling the case.

Amid that speculation, the public appears to have softened its stance toward the former president, with 52% of likely voters holding a favorable view of him in a recent Rasmussen survey, while 44% disapproved of him.

President Joe Biden, meanwhile, is almost the reverse, with 46% approving of him, compared to 53% who do not, according to a separate Rasmussen survey. He fared worse in a Leger360 survey, earning only 44% support and 54% disapproval among U.S. adults.

Trump currently appears well-positioned to secure the Republican Party nomination in 2024. He took 79% support among Republican voters in a recent Emerson survey comparing declared candidates for the GOP nomination. Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley took 16% while tech mogul Vivek Ramaswamy claimed 6%.

State by state, the former president stands far ahead of his primary competition in states such as Arizona, according to Rasmussen.

One exception is Florida, where an Emerson survey puts him only 3% ahead of Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has not declared his candidacy.

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