However, voters are divided – 46 percent yes to 49 percent no – on whether Trump would have a good chance of beating the Democratic nominee, with independent voters divided 47 percent to 48 percent.
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Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida), who along with Cruz has surged recently, found himself in second place in the poll with 17% support. Ted Cruz of Texas.
If Cruz is to prevail, he must pass Trump as well as other Republican opponents – including another first term senator, Marco Rubio of Florida, who has been the subject of Cruz attacks. The Quinnipiac poll proves that nothing Trump says hurts his standing among Republicans. In a Quinnipiac University poll released last Tuesday, Trump remained first in Iowa with 25%, but Cruz edged Ben Carson out for second with 23% support.
“It doesn’t seem to matter what he says or who he offends, whether the facts are contested or the “political correctness” is challenged, Donald Trump seems to be wearing Kevlar”, said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll, reports The Hill. Carson 47 percent to 41 percent. This time around, the 73-year-old Gilbert wants to send a staunch conservative into the general election, and she thinks Cruz might be that candidate.
In an interview with Bloomberg Politics, Cruz assailed Rubio for backing the 2011 military action in Libya and supporting the arming of rebels in Syria.
The Q poll also shows that Cruz has one very clear edge over Trump as the race moves forward: nearly no one can’t see themselves being for him. Fiorina has never been able to find a way to parlay her debate applause into sustained popularity with voters.
And while Trump was able to reclaim his status as sole GOP front-runner, the survey’s results also proved encouraging for Cruz and Rubio, who are picking up steam as the former “Apprentice” star’s main challengers.
Among tea partyers, Cruz is tied with Donald Trump at 29 percent – well ahead of Carson at 17 percent and Rubio at 12. Bush also faces resistance, with 21 percent saying they would definitely not support the former governor.
For the Democrats, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton increased her lead over Vermont Sen.
Trump claimed last month that on 9/11, he saw video footage of thousands of Muslims celebrating the attacks in New Jersey. Both Clinton and Sanders are polling much better in head-to-head surveys with Republicans, particularly against Trump.
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Political cynics will be amused at Qunnipiac’s finding that both front-runners are viewed as untrustworthy by voters, with Clinton judged “not honest and trustworthy” by a 60-36 margin, and Trump by a almost identical 59-35 split.
