Donald Trump is trouncing the rest of the Republican field with support for his main challenger, Ron DeSantis, falling by half, a new poll has found.
Despite facing 91 felony indictments, the former president appears unstoppable, forcing his opponents to rethink their tactics in the face of the Trump juggernaut.
Candidates who have avoided attacking Mr Trump out of fear of alienating the Republican base are reportedly now ready to do so.
They are also expected to step up campaigning in early voting states like New Hampshire and Iowa in the hope of slowing his momentum.
There is growing speculation that Mr Trump’s candidacy could face a legal challenge under the US 14th amendment, which disqualifies anyone who has “engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the United States” from seeking public office.
The Wall Street Journal poll, which gives the ex-president support from 59 per cent of Republican primary voters, an 11 per cent increase since April, underpins the growing desperation of Mr Trump’s opponents.
GOP voters overwhelmingly thought that the four criminal cases against Mr Trump lacked merit, with around half saying they had fuelled their support for him.
Some 78 per cent of voters said that Mr Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election were legitimate attempts to ensure an accurate vote.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the former president’s lead over Mr DeSantis has nearly doubled to 46 per cent.
However, this is a reflection of the hemorrhaging of support for the Florida governor which has slumped from 24 per cent in April to only 13 per cent, five points ahead of Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor.
Vivek Ramaswamy, a Tech tycoon and political newcomer, is also threatening Mr DeSantis’s status as the only viable alternative to Mr Trump.
