DeSantis Numbers Continue Freefall After Reboot: Poll

Support for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' presidential bid has dropped 11 percentage points since mid-July, according to a new Yahoo News/YouGov poll published on Tuesday.

The poll showed the Florida governor trailing former President Donald Trump by 40 points, with 12% of Republican primary voters indicating support for DeSantis. Trump clocked in at 52% of the vote.

DeSantis' number was down 11 percentage points from a July version of the same poll. The declining support for DeSantis comes as his campaign struggles to recover from a reboot that has included financial and staffing problems.

Pictured above, Florida Governor and 2024 Republican Presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis speaks at the Republican Party of Iowa's 2023 Lincoln Dinner at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Iowa, on July 28, 2023. Florida Department of Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. said on Friday that AP Psychology can be taught in its “entirety." — DeSantis' campaign has struggled to reboot itselfPhoto by SERGIO FLORES/AFP via Getty Images

Meanwhile, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy appears to be gaining ground, clocking in at 8% support among Republican primary voters — just four points behind DeSantis — which is up 5% since the previous poll. No other Republican candidate cleared 5% in the poll.

The poll was conducted among 1,665 adults from Aug. 17-21 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.

DeSantis and seven other Republican candidates — excluding Trump — will debate in Milwaukee on Wednesday night. The former president chose not to attend the debate, citing his lead in polling.