According to a new poll, Vivek Ramaswamy was deemed the “real winner” of Wednesday’s GOP debate, beating out former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
The poll, conducted by J.L. Partners, asked 504 Republicans questions about their views of the debate for the Daily Mail.
The pollsters asked debate viewers who the “real winner” was and included Trump, who skipped it and instead sat down for an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
Of those surveyed, 22 percent said Ramaswamy was the “real winner,” 21 percent said Trump won, and 20 percent said DeSantis. The rest of the candidates all polled in the single digits.
“Seven career politicians took a swing at Vivek and they couldn’t knock him down,” said his senior adviser Chris Grant, according to the outlet.
DeSantis’ campaign manager, James Uthmeier, also seemed happy with the results, telling the Daily Mail that the candidate had stayed above “squabbling” with the other candidates.
“While other candidates attacked each other, Governor DeSantis stayed focused on the American people and fighting for their future with a clear vision to fix our economy, secure the border, empower parents, back law enforcement, and stand up to the leftist elites and the DC establishment,” Uthmeier said.
When asked who had the best debate performance, 28 percent said Ramaswamy, and 27 percent said DeSantis.
Former Vice President Mike Pence came in third with 13 percent, followed by Tim Scott with eight percent, Nikki Haley with seven percent, Chris Christie with four percent, Doug Burgum with three percent, Asa Hutchinson with two percent. Nine percent said that they “don’t know.”
“First and foremost, Vivek Ramaswamy, who has inserted himself onto the national stage and narrowly won the debate with Republican voters,” James Johnson, of J.L. Partners, told the Daily Mail. “Second, Ron DeSantis, who nearly topped the poll and has very much kept his campaign alive and defied write-offs about his debate performance.”
Johnson continued, “Third, Mike Pence, who voters put in third place and who may now be asserting himself as the leading anti-Trump candidate in the race.”
The poll has a margin of error of 4.4 percent.
