Ron DeSantis leads Donald Trump in battleground states, new poll shows

DeSantis defeats Charlie Crist Election 2022 — Incumbent Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, his wife Casey and their children on stage after speaking to supporters at an election night party after winning his race for reelection in Tampa, Fla., Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

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A new poll shows Florida Governor Ron DeSantis leading former President Donald Trump in two battleground states. This comes as both politicians are starting to air attack ads.

The poll, conducted by Public Opinion Strategies, shows a majority of voters in these swing states- 56% in Pennsylvania and 55% in Arizona – say they are unlikely to vote for Trump next year.

That’s compared to 45% in Pennsylvania and 44% in Arizona who say they aren’t too likely to vote for DeSantis.

This comes as Trump released a new ad attacking DeSantis’s stance on social security. The ad pokes fun at rumors that DeSantis once ate pudding with his hands.

“Ron DeSantis loves sticking his fingers where they don’t belong. And we’re not just talking about pudding. DeSantis has his dirty fingers all over senior entitlements like cutting Medicare, slashing social security, even raising our retirement age”

Governor Ron DeSantis fired back with a commercial calling the social security claims “lies.”

“Trump should fight Democrats, not lie about Governor DeSantis. What happened to Donald Trump?”

DeSantis has yet to announce his official 2024 run for president.