In a hypothetical 3-way matchup, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis handily beats former President Donald Trump with a key demographic — Trump voters — but loses to President Joe Biden with everyone else.

If DeSantis were to secure the Republican presidential nomination — a mighty big “if” — Trump would have to decide whether or not to run as an independent candidate.

That’s the scenario that was imagined in a new YouGov poll released this week that illustrates the dilemma facing Republicans in 2024.

Respondents were asked, “If the 2024 presidential election were held today between the following candidates, who would you vote for?”

Among registered voters, 44 percent responded “Joe Biden, the Democrat,” a full 21 points ahead of the runner-up, DeSantis — whose 23 percent support is a full five points higher than the 18 percent who said they’d vote for  “Donald Trump, running as an Independent.”

And in that same matchup, among Trump voters, 51 percent said they’d vote for DeSantis, with only 36 percent saying they would vote for Trump.

In head-to-head contests, things are much closer, but DeSantis still loses to Biden, and still runs stronger against the president than Trump does.

Among registered voters, Biden beats Trump 45% to 40%, while DeSantis trails Biden by three points, 43% to 40%.

Respondents to the poll were also asked, “If Donald Trump runs for president in 2024 but loses the Republican primary, would you want him to run as an Independent candidate in the general election?”

Among registered voters, an overwhelming 62 percent said “no,” and even among Trump voters, the “nos” outnumbered the “yeses” 46 % to 36%.

But even though DeSantis runs more strongly against Biden, he is still getting obliterated by Trump in Republican primary polls. In a new Politico/Morning Consult poll published Wednesday, Trump beat DeSantis by a whopping 39 points, 57 percent to 18  percent — with former Vice President Mike Pence a distant third with 8 percent.

The post SHOCK POLL: DeSantis Flattens Trump By 15 Points in 3-Way Race with Biden – Among TRUMP Voters first appeared on Mediaite.

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