Donald Trump Widens Lead Over DeSantis in GoP 2024 Nomination Race

By Jacob J
June 26, 2023 14:47 +08

The Former President and Republican front-runner for 2024 nomination, Donald Trump, has got the backing of a greater number of GoP voters after his federal indictment, according to the latest polls.

Former Vice President Mike Pence was placed third with only about 7 percent support among the possible Republican voters.

Donald Trump Rally Speech — Instagram / Team Trump 45

However, the poll also showed that nearly 50 percent of the Republican voters were unsure whether the former president remained the best GoP candidate for the 2024 presidential election given the two indictments he was handed recently.

Trump has rallied his followers around the theme of the alleged Democratic witch-hunt, citing his indictments at the state and federal levels as base political vendetta. "Every time the radical-left Democrats, Marxists, communists and fascists indict me, I consider it a great badge of courage ... I'm being indicted for you, and I believe the 'you' is more than 200 million people that love our country," Trump said at a rally on the weekend.

Latest Polls

The latest polls also showed that Trump's popularity among the Republican voters rose following the second indictment in early June, when federal charges were slapped on him over the confidential documents kept at his Mar-a-Lago home.

Trump rally — Trump supporters gather at Washington DC Twitter

Following the indictment in New York in April over alleged hush money payments, polls showed that Trump held on to the support of 46 percent of the Republican supporters, while DeSantis secured the support of 31 percent. However, after Trump was indicted over 37 federal charges relating to his handling of the classified documents, the polls showed he widened his lead over DeSantis by 30 points.

Trump Vs biden

Meanwhile, an opinion poll by Harvard CAPS showed that Trump leads President Joe Biden by a margin of 45 percent against 39 percent if they were to face off against each other in the 2024 presidential race.

With the latest indictment, Trump now faces seven criminal counts including violations of the Espionage Act, obstruction of justice and conspiracy. His legal team will try to push the trial for as long as they can, but the chances are that it will indeed take place before the 2024 US presidential elections conclude in November 2024.

Can Trump Continue the Campaign?

Trump can freely go ahead with the election campaign as the trial will not take place for at least a year. The former president will initially report at a federal court in Florida but the legal process will go on for months.

Trump's earlier conviction in an alleged hush money case in New York did not result in a political setback for the former president. In fact his poll numbers rose after the indictment, and his team said they received greater financial contributions after the Democrat move to indict him.

What if Trump is Convicted?

A possible conviction will not stop Trump from continuing with the presidential campaign. Although his legal team will try to delay the proceedings, a trial will likely take place in the middle of the election. If Trump is convicted, he is unlikely to be sent to jail as he can move for bail. This will enable him to continue the campaign. According to legal experts, even if he is imprisoned, Trump can continue with the presidential race from inside the prison.

Donald Trump arrives at Manhattan Criminals Court for his NYC arraignment on Tuesday Twitter

What if Trump is Elected President Before Trial Concludes?

Federal trials are destined to take long to start and there's a possibility that the 2024 elections can take place before the trial concludes. If Trump wins the presidency before the trial is over, he can technically end the legal proceedings using his presidential powers.

Since the US Justice Department is part of the executive branch, the president can order the end of any proceedings against him. "The U.S. Justice Department has a decades-old policy that a sitting president cannot be prosecuted. The department can deviate from policy in "extraordinary circumstances" with the approval of the U.S. attorney general," explains the Washington Examiner. However, the president has the power to remove the attorney general from the office and replace him with a trusted official.

Can Trump Pardon Himself?

The president can pardon himself of a conviction in a federal court, though he cannot do so if he is convicted under state laws. According to the US constitution, the president has the "power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment."