Despite the fact that Donald Trump is still technically leading the Republican field in the polls, the first GOP debate may have caused the former president’s lead to close by a non-insignificant margin.
In addition, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is now gaining significant ground on Donald Trump among Iowa voters, according to a recent poll by Public Opinion Strategies, a polling company that is working for the DeSantis campaign.
A campaign poll’s release typically has a purpose or narrative, thus the findings should be interpreted with caution.
In a ballot test that included 400 potential GOP caucus-goers from Iowa, DeSantis saw his support increase from 14% to 21% after the debate.
Trump’s support dropped from 42% to 41%, a one-point decline.
After the debate, former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley’s support increased significantly from 3% to 11%, while Sen. Tim Scott’s support decreased from 8% to 7%.
The biggest decline was experienced by businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, who went from 10% support to 7%. Mike Pence, a former vice president, continued to receive 2% of the vote.
Following the debate, support for both former New Jersey governor Chris Christie and North Dakota governor Doug Burgum fell from 3% to 1%.
Asa Hutchinson, the former governor of Arkansas, experienced a rise in popularity as well, rising from less than 1% prior to the discussion to as much as 1% after it.
[READ MORE: DeSantis Experiences Major Fundraising Surge After GOP Debate]
