Donald Trump maintains commanding lead in poll, Vivek Ramaswamy on the rise

Former US president Donald Trump holds significant leads in most polls of the Republican presidential field

Upstart White House candidate Vivek Ramaswamy now polling at 10 per cent, two points behind Ron DeSantis

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Republican candidate for US president Vivek Ramaswamy. Photo: TNS

Published: 11:41am, 25 Jul 2023

Despite pending legal entanglements, recent polling shows former US president Donald Trump continues to dominate the Republican primary field, though one political outsider is showing signs of in increased traction.

According to a recent survey of more than 2,000 registered voters conducted by the Center for American Political Studies at Harvard University, Trump continues to maintain support among a majority of the Republican electorate, while businessman Vivek Ramaswamy is starting to make a name for himself among conservatives.

“Trump is a clear favourite in a prospective GOP primary despite losing some ground; DeSantis remains the runner up but losing steam to Ramaswamy,” pollsters wrote.

According to the survey, conducted July 19 and 20, the former president, who’s facing charges in a pending federal documents case and another business records case in New York, holds sway among 52 per cent of conservatives.

Former US president Donald Trump. Photo: AP

That’s down seven-points from last month but still a full 40-points ahead of the next leading Republican, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at 12 per cent.

“The more people get to know Ron DeSanctimonious, the lower his polls are going,” the 45th President of the United States wrote on his Truth Social media platform shortly after sharing the Harvard poll, using a nickname for the Republican governor of the Sunshine State.