More Republicans say DeSantis should have influence over party than Trump: Poll

Cami Mondeaux

October 24, 09:43 AM October 24, 09:43 AM

More Republicans believe Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis should have a “great deal” of influence over the party compared to former President Donald Trump, highlighting a seeming shift in loyalty ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

About 72% of Republican voters say DeSantis should have a great deal or good amount of influence over the party’s direction compared to 64% who said the same about Trump, according to a recent ABC News/Ipsos poll.

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Sixty-three percent say Sen. Ted Cruz should have a heavy influence over the party, and another 52% say Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) should also help guide the party’s future direction.

Other high-profile Republicans have lower favorability ratings among Republican voters, with only 42% saying former Vice President Mike Pence should have a good amount of influence over the party and even fewer (15%) saying the same for Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), according to the data.

Democrats have a more expansive pool of politicians they want to have an influence over the party, with 81% wanting former President Barack Obama guiding the party, followed by President Joe Biden (69%), Vice President Kamala Harris (65%), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren (63%), and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (56%).

The ABC News/Ipsos poll surveyed 686 adults between Oct. 21-22 with a margin of error of 4 percentage points.