Republican Primary 2024 morning update for 09-29-2023

Here is a detailed update on what has been happening over the last 48 hours as it relates to the Republican Primary 2024: - Trump remains the frontrunner, but his support is slipping. A new poll by Morning Consult shows that Trump has 58% support among potential Republican primary voters, down from 64% in August. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is in second place with 15% support, followed by entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy with 9%, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley with 7%, and former Vice President Mike Pence with 6%. - DeSantis is gaining ground on Trump. DeSantis's performance in the second Republican primary debate on Tuesday night was well-received by many voters. He was seen as confident and articulate, and he delivered strong attacks on Trump. In a post-debate poll by CNN, 56% of viewers said they had a more favorable impression of DeSantis after the debate, while only 37% said the same about Trump. - Trump and DeSantis are trading barbs. Trump has been attacking DeSantis more aggressively in recent days, calling him "Ron DeSanctimonious" and accusing him of being "disloyal." DeSantis has responded by saying that he is not afraid of Trump and that he will not be bullied. - Other candidates are struggling to gain traction. Haley, Pence, and the other Republican candidates are struggling to make headway against Trump and DeSantis. They are all polling in the single digits, and they have not been able to break through with voters. Here are some specific news developments from the last 48 hours: - On Wednesday, Trump held a rally in Ohio, where he attacked DeSantis and other potential Republican rivals. He also repeated his false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him. - On Thursday, DeSantis announced that he would be raising taxes on corporations in Florida. This move is seen as a way to appeal to working-class voters and to position himself as a more moderate candidate than Trump. - On Friday, Haley announced that she would be holding a campaign event in Iowa next week. Iowa is the first state to hold a caucus in the Republican presidential primary, so it is an important state for candidates to compete in. Overall, the Republican primary race is still in its early stages, and it is unclear who will ultimately emerge as the frontrunner. Trump remains the most popular figure in the Republican Party, but he is facing increasing challenges from DeSantis and other potential rivals.