Poll Has Trump as No. 1 in GOP, but There's Trouble

The New York Times released a poll Monday that was bad news for President Biden. A new one from the Times on Tuesday focuses on former President Trump, and he, too, faces growing friction from his own party's voters. However, Trump is still the No. 1 choice among likely candidates in the GOP. Details:

• Favorite: Trump easily led in a matchup against five GOP rivals, with the former president at 52% and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at 25%. Ted Cruz, Mike Pence, Nikki Haley, and Mike Pompeo all were in single digits.
• Trouble: Majorities of GOP voters under 35 (64%) and college-educated ones (65%) say they would vote against Trump in a primary. All told, about half of Republican voters would like a candidate other than Trump. And 16% of Republicans say they would vote for Biden or someone else, not vote at all, or were unsure what they would do if Trump is the nominee.

• Head-to-head: Trump trails Biden 44% to 41% in a hypothetical rematch among all voters in the Times/Sienna College poll.
• Analysis: That last stat cited, with Biden beating Trump, is maybe the one speck of good news for Democrats from the Times polling, writes Stephen Collinson at CNN. Trump has so much trouble with the general electorate that he may well lose. Collinson, however, does not like the prospect of a Biden-Trump rematch. "A country mired in multiple crises, politically estranged within and facing risky international flashpoints may get a 2024 contest between two candidates whose answers haven't worked over the previous eight years and whom millions of people would like to see retire from the stage to make room for younger, fresher faces."

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