Trump maintains strong lead of 20 per cent in latest poll

Trump has 36 percent support, nine percent higher than he had in October more than double the 16 percent backing for ultraconservative Texas Sen.

That October poll testing the larger Democratic field found Clinton with a 45% to 29% lead over Sanders, suggesting the shrinking field has primarily benefited Clinton – up 13 points – while doing little to boost Sanders’ numbers – up 1 point.

Marco Rubio, R-Florida. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is far back at 4 percent, with Jeb Bush and Carly Fiorina at 3 percent apiece.

Cruz is also in the rise, having surged 12 percentage points since the earlier survey. Rubio has gained marginally by 4 points, and that increase is within the margin of sampling errors for the poll since the last poll in October.

The event had been previously scheduled – and Cruz aides say protecting gun owners’ rights is even more important in the wake of the shooting than it had been before. Rubio and Carson are tied at 19%, and Trump is at 18%.

“In every category, practically, Trump is in first or second place”. Rand Paul of Kentucky is in even worse shape, with only 1 percent Republican support to show for his year and a half of campaigning for his party’s nomination.

Conservative commentator Matt Lewis tells CNN we should remember this is a national poll, but there is not a national primary.

Trump is way, way ahead among Republicans in who is best equipped to handle challenges that will face America’s 45th president. Interviews were conducted with 930 registered voters, including 403 who are Democrats or independents who lean toward the Democratic Party.

As for the rest of the field, it is beginning to look somewhat grim: Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson continues to lose ground with 14 percent of the Republican vote. Sen.