Donald Trump Polls: Lead Increases In Key States As Trump Solidifies Status As Front-Runner

Donald Trump is pulling ahead in polls across key states, building a lead that seem to squash the narrative that his candidacy is fizzling.

This week, new CNN/ORC polls in South Carolina and Nevada showed Trump with growing leads in both states, pushing past what some pundits thought was a plateau in his poll numbers. The real estate mogul has double-digit leads in both states, which could be key to his primary strategy.

Trump leads second-place Ben Carson 38 percent to 22 percent in Nevada, and in South Carolina is beating Carson by a margin of 36 percent to 18 percent. There are no other candidates with double-digit support in either state.

Both polls seem to indicate that Donald Trump is building his lead in the polls. Nationally, he has drawn about 25 percent of voters, but had also seen his leads level out or even dip slightly. Some experts thought that voters were starting to grow wary of Trump and his very loud brand of politics, but the leads in Nevada and South Carolina could say otherwise.

As Business Insider noted, the numbers from the recent polls show even more good signs for Donald Trump.

• The economy – 67 percent of Republicans in Nevada said Trump, 60 points ahead of his next-closest challenger, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina.
• Foreign policy – 34 percent said Trump, about 20 points ahead of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida).
• Illegal immigration – a whopping 55 percent said Trump.
• ISIS – the militant group, 46 percent said Trump, 33 points above Rubio.

But with his unlikely frontrunner status has also come the attention of other candidates, CNN noted. Trump has become the major point of attack for those trailing him in the polls, namely Jeb Bush. The former Florida governor this week released a two-minute video mocking Trump and calling him unfit to lead America’s military.

.@RealDonaldTrump‘s absurd comments again raise questions on whether he possesses the judgment to be President: https://t.co/lLr1SF1jwp

— Jeb Bush (@JebBush) October 17, 2015

The video noted that Trump has touted his love of the military, but avoided the draft in Vietnam by receiving deferments.

“The American people are fed up with President Obama’s lack of strategy for addressing the grave threat of ISIS and radical Islamic terrorists. Governor Bush is the only candidate in this race with the proven executive record and leadership skills needed to restore America’s role in the world,” said Bush campaign spokeswoman Allie Brandenburger.

Donald Trump has frequently traded barbs with Jeb Bush, and this week Trump also took aim at Jeb’s brother, former president George W. Bush. Trump said that Bush was at least partly to blame for September 11, 2001, for failing to stop the attacks.

https://instagram.com/p/8Tl0HLGhWx/?taken-by=realdonaldtrump

While the increasing poll numbers are a good sign for Donald Trump in the short term, in a larger way they seem to lend credence to his status as the frontrunner. Many had expected this year’s presidential run to match Trump’s previous efforts to run for office, when he seemed to be more interested in getting attention and taking shots at Barack Obama.

But Trump has now led the race for several months, and his lead is continuing to grow.

Trump himself has touted the poll numbers, sharing them with fans through his Instagram page showing him nearly doubling up Ben Carson. Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio, who this time last year would have been considered frontrunners, are languishing behind at third and fifth place, with neither of them able to crack double digits.

https://instagram.com/p/8E5dKNGhYs/?taken-by=realdonaldtrump

Donald Trump could have more chances to add to his strong poll numbers. CNBC and the Republican National Committee this week came to an agreement for another debate, this one taking place October 28. Trump has used previous debates to hammer his opponents, and the performances have resonated with voters.

[Image via Instagram/Donald Trump]