Trump's conservative base deserting him for DeSantis - poll

Most Republican-leaning voters would prefer Florida's governor over Donald Trump as their 2024 presidential nominee, according to a survey.

By a 56%-33% margin, conservative voters picked Governor Ron DeSantis over the former president who formally launched his campaign last month.

The Suffolk University/USA Today poll also found President Joe Biden had higher approval numbers than Mr Trump.

It follows mixed results for Trump-backed candidates in midterm elections.

"There's a new Republican sheriff in town," said David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center.

"DeSantis outpolls Trump not only among the general electorate, but also among these Republican-leaning voters who have been the former president's base.

"Republicans and conservative independents increasingly want Trumpism without Trump."

According to the nationwide survey, Mr DeSantis also leads Mr Biden by 47%-43% among all voters in a hypothetical election. Seven per cent were undecided.

Mr DeSantis, 44, was re-elected in November, winning by a landslide of more than a million and a half votes, the largest margin of any Florida governor in 40 years.

In the days after, Mr Trump lashed out at his potential rival, and warned him not to run for president.

"I think if he runs, he could hurt himself very badly," he told Fox News.

The poll released on Tuesday recorded only a 30% approval rating for Mr Trump, compared to 46% for Democrat Joe Biden.

The survey also found that over 60% of voters would prefer that neither Mr Trump nor Mr Biden stand in the 2024 race.

The survey of 1,000 registered voters took place between 7 and 11 December by mobile and landline telephones.