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Trump, Donald

Trump and Cruz's Rise in Republican Polls Worry Republicans' White House Chances

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Despite solidifying their positions atop the Republican presidential pack, Donald Trump and Ted Cruz's success may not bode well for the party's chances of reclaiming the White House, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. The poll shows Trump struggling against Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, with Clinton claiming 50% to Trump's 40% in a general election match-up. Meanwhile, Cruz is also behind Clinton, falling 3 points short of her 48% support in the poll.

Key Takeaways:

  • Donald Trump, the current front-runner in the Republican presidential pack, trails Hillary Clinton by 10 percentage points in a general election match-up, with Clinton taking 50% to Trump's 40%.
  • Ted Cruz, a freshman senator from Texas, also trails Clinton, falling 3 points short of her 48% support in the poll, with Cruz taking 22% to Trump's 27% in the GOP primary.
  • Marco Rubio, a senator from Florida and now in third place in the GOP horse race with 15%, would defeat Clinton 48% to 45% in a general election match-up, according to the NBC/Wall Street Journal poll.
  • Rubio performs strongly among independents against Clinton, taking 44% to 37%, and narrows the Democrat's advantage with Hispanics, clinching 36% of that demographic to Clinton's 59%.
  • Ben Carson, a retired neurosurgeon and once a threat to Trump's lead position, remains competitive with the likely Democratic nominee, facing a dead heat with Clinton in a hypothetical general election, taking 47% to Clinton's 46%.

Statistics:

  • 50%: Hillary Clinton's support in a general election match-up against Donald Trump, according to the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
  • 40%: Donald Trump's support in a general election match-up against Hillary Clinton, according to the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
  • 22%: Ted Cruz's support in the GOP primary, according to the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
  • 48%: Hillary Clinton's support in a general election match-up against Ted Cruz, according to the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
  • 15%: Marco Rubio's support in the GOP horse race, according to the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
  • 48%: Marco Rubio's support in a general election match-up against Hillary Clinton, according to the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
  • 45%: Hillary Clinton's support in a general election match-up against Marco Rubio, according to the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
  • 44%: Marco Rubio's support among independents against Hillary Clinton, according to the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
  • 37%: Hillary Clinton's support among independents against Marco Rubio, according to the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
  • 36%: Marco Rubio's support among Hispanics against Hillary Clinton, according to the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
  • 59%: Hillary Clinton's support among Hispanics against Marco Rubio, according to the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
  • 47%: Ben Carson's support in a hypothetical general election against Hillary Clinton, according to the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
  • 46%: Hillary Clinton's support in a hypothetical general election against Ben Carson, according to the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
  • 1,000: The number of adults surveyed for the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll with a margin of error of +/- 3.36 percentage points.

Sources:

  • "2016 Republican Presidential Nomination Campaign Poll" by NBC News/Wall Street Journal, released on January 25, 2016.
  • "2016 Republican Presidential Nomination Campaign Poll" by NBC News/Wall Street Journal, cited in the text.
  • "Hillary Clinton 2016 Presidential Campaign" by CNN, cited in the text.

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