Donald Trump Polls: With The Republican Nomination Still In His Sights, Trump Could Be Headed For Historic Loss In November
Donald Trump may still have enough steam to outlast Ted Cruz and secure the Republican nomination, but polls of general election voters show that he may be in line for a historic blowout in November.
Cruz defeated Donald Trump this week in the Wisconsin primary, a contest Trump badly needed to keep control of the race. Trump still has some favorable ground ahead, including a New York primary in which polls put him ahead by more than 30 points, but the task will be more difficult after the Badger State loss.
Although Tuesday’s loss in Wisconsin was a difficult one, Donald Trump could still be on pace to win the majority of delegates and avoid a contested convention. He would need to win 61 percent of the remaining delegates up for grabs to reach the 1,237 barrier that would give him the nomination outright, a difficult task but within the range of polls for upcoming states.
But Donald Trump is prepared for all scenarios and appears to be gearing up for a Republican primary battle that could last all the way to the Republican National Convention this summer. He just hired Republican strategist Paul Manafort in anticipation for what will likely be a contested convention.
“This is an example of Donald Trump managing, and the type of leadership he will bring to the presidency in November,” Manafort told CNN. “He also understood that winning isn’t enough, that it’s about how you win and how much you win.”
From there it would grow much harder for Donald Trump — verging on impossible. Polls show that Trump, who was already widely unpopular when he entered the race, is plummeting to new lows of unpopularity.
In @POLITICO Playbook: Trump would be most unpopular nominee in 32 yrs – as Trump says, Sad! https://t.co/jsFGDlLAH1 pic.twitter.com/YNQ73K8Cq6
— Mike Allen (@mikeallen) April 1, 2016
An Associated Press/GfK poll showed that nearly every voting group now holds an unfavorable view of Trump, including half of Republicans who say even they don’t like the real estate magnate.
New @AP poll shows that Trump is deeply unpopular among most sections of America https://t.co/2WcsxL1RQS pic.twitter.com/9NEwLiySdI
— Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) April 7, 2016
As Red State noted, the numbers are utterly terrible for Donald Trump.
“Seven in 10 people, including close to half of Republican voters, have an unfavorable view of Trump, according to a new Associated Press-GfK poll. It’s an opinion shared by majorities of men and women; young and old; conservatives, moderates and liberals; and whites, Hispanics and blacks — a devastatingly broad indictment of the billionaire businessman.
“Even in the South, a region where Trump has won GOP primaries decisively, close to 70 percent view him unfavorably. And among whites without a college education, one of Trump’s most loyal voting blocs, 55 percent have a negative opinion.”
Trump can’t even seem to get the full support of those backing him. Ben Carson, who endorsed Trump after dropping out of the race, noted that there are still better candidates to lead the country.
“Obviously, there’s always going to be someone who’s better at virtually anything,” Carson told CNN’s John Berman and Kate Bolduan (via USA Today). “That doesn’t mean that you’re not good. But of course, there are always better people at anything.”
Experts note that once he does secure the Republican nomination, Donald Trump is likely to move toward the center more and could shy away from the controversial statements that have marked his campaign to date. But at this point, the polls may not have much room to change, and many voters are set in stone on their views of Trump and his campaign.
[Image via Instagram/Donald Trump]
