Monmouth Poll: Trump’s national lead in GOP presidential race widens

Christie is tied for 7th place, will likely make the “Top Ten” debate

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Donald Trump has a 2-1 lead over his next closest competitor, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie seems assured of a spot in the “Top Ten” prime time debate sponsored by FoxNews and facebook on Thursday evening, according to a Monmouth University Poll released this morning.

Pollster Patrick Murray also found that 74% of Republican primary voters do not like the “Top Ten” debate format designed by FoxNews. 45% would prefer to see two back to back debates with the candidates selected randomly and 29% would prefer to see all candidates in one debate. Only 23% approve of the FoxNews formula.

Trump leads the 17 candidate field with 26% of the voters surveyed favoring him to be the 2016 GOP nominee. Bush is at 12.2% followed by Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker at 11.1%. Christie is tied for seventh place with Kentucky Senator Rand Paul and Florida Senator Marco Rubio at 4.4.% Ohio Governor John Kasich comfortably holds to 10th spot in the Monmouth Poll with 3.2%.

Trump’s favorability rating has improved to 52% favorable to 35% unfavorable. In a Monmouth Poll three weeks ago The Donald was viewed favorably by 40% and unfavorably by 41%. Before he declared his candidacy in June, Trump was viewed favorably by only 20% and unfavorably by 55%.

Trump is leading with conservatives and moderates, Tea Partiers and non-Tea Partiers, in all age groups and with both genders.

“Republican support for Donald Trump just continues to grow with no clear sense of who his constituency really is,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute in West Long Branch, NJ. “This makes it very difficult for his opponents to figure out how to take him on in the upcoming debate.”