Trump’s margin over Cruz has narrowed from 16 points in January to 9 today. As a succession of Republican candidates has quit the race, Cruz’s percentage has ticked up 4 points since January, Rubio’s by 7 and Kasich’s by 11. Trump’s has dipped by 3 points, within the poll’s margin of sampling error…
That Trump is a polarizing figure within the Republican Party is no surprise, typified by the opposition among establishment and other Republicans that has intensified over the past few weeks. Only a bare majority (51 percent) of Republicans or Republican-leaning independents say they would be satisfied with the New York billionaire as their nominee, a noticeably smaller percentage than for Cruz (65 percent) or Rubio (62 percent), with Kasich in between at 56 percent.
Favorable ratings also indicate an increasingly tenuous standing within the party. In early January, Republicans’ clearly gave Trump more favorable than unfavorable reviews, 60 percent to 39 percent. That has narrowed to a 53-46 margin, with negative marks at their highest level in Post-ABC polling since he entered the race. Trump’s positive ratings also trail Cruz’s 64 percent and Rubio’s 63 percent.
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