Trump is ahead in every major Republican demographic, with a roughly 35 percentage-point lead over DeSantis and Ramaswamy among evangelical Christians, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Thursday. AFPPIX: Former US president Donald Trump and Florida governor Ron DeSantis descended on Washington on Friday, both looking to win over evangelical Republicans, a voting bloc likely to play a pivotal role in selecting a 2024 presidential nominee.
DeSantis’ advisers are betting he can eat into Trump’s significant polling lead by outperforming among devout Christians, especially those who are affluent and well-educated, according to several people familiar with his strategy. Many Christian activists credit Trump for helping to bring an end to nationwide abortion rights by appointing three conservative justices to the U.S. Supreme Court, which last year overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v Wade decision.