Donald Trump could have a major problem in the Sunshine State.
A new poll from Florida shows that Trump’s 2020 re-election bid may have a major hitch as the must-win state could be slipping out of reach. The Bendixen & Amandi International poll, posted by Politico , shows that just 40 percent of voters in Florida believe that Trump should be re-elected, and 53 percent are opposed to Trump winning in 2020.
The poll also found that a disproportionately high number of Republican voters — 23 percent — did not want to see Trump re-elected. Trump had a 43 percent overall approval rating in the state, with 52 percent saying they viewed him unfavorably.
“Trump is in trouble,” said pollster Fernand Amandi. “When that many people from your own party don’t support you, it means you have to spend more time consolidating your base.”
The new presidential poll could point to major trouble for Donald Trump in 2020, as Florida is seen as a must-win state and without its electoral votes, Trump is believed to have little or no path to an electoral victory.
This is the latest poll to show trouble for Donald Trump in the upcoming presidential election. Another poll from Harvard CAPS/Harris showed that only a small percentage of voters are sure they will vote for Trump — 22 percent said they would definitely vote for him, and another 11 percent said they probably would. A total of 44 percent planned to vote for a generic Democratic opponent, The Hill reported.
Mark Penn, the poll’s co-director and a longtime Democratic strategist, did offer a bit of perspective that could help Trump, noting that Bill Clinton was in a nearly identical situation prior to his 1996 re-election. But Penn said it will take a strong campaign for Trump to overcome the early deficits.
President Trump’s second home, Florida, is typically viewed as a must-win for a Republican —but a new poll shows only 40 percent want him re-elected here, while 53 percent don’t want him to have a second term https://t.co/GvLJgYlILR
— Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) March 6, 2019
“On the other hand, Clinton and Obama looked beatable at this point and yet they ran smart campaigns to come back from the dead,” Penn said. “With low re-elect numbers, Trump would be headed for a difficult and likely losing campaign if he does not change some of it.”
Donald Trump does have some advantages, including a re-election campaign that started almost immediately after he took office in 2017. Trump has crisscrossed the country on campaign stops since taking office, working to shore up his support in states that will be needed to win re-election in 2020. His support also remains mostly high within his own party, though experts say he will likely have to expand beyond his base to win in 2020.
