According to a recent Washington Post-Ipsos poll, a significant majority of Black voters, 67%, have already crossed Governor Ron DeSantis off their consideration list for president in 2024.
Although DeSantis fares slightly better with Black voters compared to former President Donald Trump, with 78% of respondents stating they wouldn’t consider supporting Trump against President Joe Biden, DeSantis still performs poorly among Blacks when compared to other Republican presidential candidates.
Of note, the survey reveals that 57% of Black voters would not consider supporting U.S. Senator Tim Scott from South Carolina, and 58% dismiss the possibility of supporting former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley.
With the Governor currently engaged in a dispute with the NAACP, don’t expect DeSantis’s numbers among Blacks to improve any time soon. These polling results coincide with a travel advisory issued by the NAACP regarding DeSantis’ Florida. The advisory claims that Florida exhibits open hostility towards African Americans, people of color, and LGBTQ+ individuals.
In fact, NAACP President & CEO, Derrick Johnson asserts that under DeSantis’ leadership, Florida has become unwelcoming to Black Americans and in direct contradiction to the democratic ideals upon which the nation was founded.
DeSantis has rejected these allegations and defended his state’s safety record, citing a low crime rate compared to other cities across the country. He argues that cities like Baltimore and Chicago experience far more crime and violence, yet the NAACP fails to address these issues.
Biden and Trump
A significant majority of Black Americans, comprising 54%, express anger at the possibility of former President Donald Trump being reelected for another term. Another 29% indicate that they would be dissatisfied but not necessarily angry. Only a mere 4% of Black Americans say they would feel enthusiastic about Trump winning another term as president.
While President Joe Biden enjoys approval from two-thirds of Black voters, the polling indicates that 49% of those surveyed feel his presidency has made no difference in their lives. Nevertheless, two in three Black Americans (66%) approve of how Biden is handling his job as president, down slightly from last year (70%).
N.B: This poll was conducted before the Governor officially launched his bid for the White House.
