For many months, former President Donald Trump has posted large leads over his Republican counterparts in the race to secure the GOP nominated ahead of the 2024 election.
Trump faces only Nikki Haley in the primary race to secure the nomination and commands a sizable lead.
What Happened: A race that started with more than 10 candidates is down to only Haley and Trump fighting to get the nomination. Key contenders Vivek Ramaswamy and Ron DeSantis both dropped out after the first state held its vote.
Trump won and dominated the early-voting states of New Hampshire, Iowa and Nevada.
The latest Morning Consult poll of GOP voters shows a commanding lead for Trump.
Here's a look at who Republican voters selected in the latest Morning Consult poll, with the percentage from last week in parentheses.
Donald Trump: 81% (80%)
Nikki Haley: 18% (18%)
Someone Else: 2% (2%)
Related Link: Nikki Haley Stands Behind Promise To Pardon Trump If Elected President: ‘We’ve Got To Leave Negativity And Baggage Behind’
Why It's Important: Trump's lead over Haley stands at 63 points in the latest poll, up from the 62-point lead he had in the previous two weeks. Morning Consult said Trump hit a record 66-point lead during last week before the final result.
Since Ramaswamy and DeSantis dropped out of the race and the early state results, Trump's lead has stayed fairly consistent in the 62-point range.
Before Ramaswamy and DeSantis dropped out, Trump's lead often was 50 points or more.
The 81% of the vote for Trump ties a high for Trump for a final week since polling began in December 2022.
Along with the sizable deficit, the poll could show more bad news for Haley. The poll showed Haley's favorability hitting new lows with 43% of voters viewing the candidate favorably versus 38% who said view her negatively.
The net rating of 5% hits a new low for Haley since polling began and comes ahead of the key South Carolina primary, which is Haley's home state and the one she was the governor of for eight years.
Last week's poll saw Haley hitting new lows in her popularity with more people hearing something negative about her than something positive.
The poll comes as Haley has stepped up attacks on Trump for several items including his foreign relations and age.
The South Carolina primary will be held on Feb. 24 and could mark a major event for the 2024 election. A Morning Consult poll showed Trump with a 68% to 31% lead over Haley among Republican voters in South Carolina. A CBS News/YouGov poll found Trump with a 65% to 30% lead over Haley in South Carolina.
Despite the large deficit in the polls, Haley recently made it clear she plans to stay in the race even if she loses South Carolina.
"South Carolina will vote on Saturday. But on Sunday, I'll still be running for president. I'm not going anywhere," Haley said.
Haley recently announced several new campaign stops including two in the swing state of Michigan.
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