Ron DeSantis' Popularity Plunges to Lowest in Poll's History

Ron DeSantis' net approval rating has slumped to a new low of -24 according to an opinion survey, the worst it has been since the pollster started tracking the Florida governor in May 2022.

The Civiqs poll concluded that on July 26 some 57 percent of registered American voters had a negative view of DeSantis, versus just 33 percent with a positive impression and 10 percent who were unsure.

DeSantis is currently running for the Republican presidential nomination, with polling indicating he is currently the second most popular choice with GOP voters after Donald Trump. However the DeSantis campaign has struggled to make headway against the former president, and earlier this week fired a staffer after they reportedly included a Nazi-associated symbol in a video promoting the Florida governor.

The latest Civiqs survey has DeSantis as the most unpopular he's been since the pollster started measuring his national favorability ratings in May 2022. According to Civiqs, DeSantis' ratings peaked in November and early December 2022, following his decisive re-election in the preceding midterm election, when his net approval reached -1, but has since declined significantly.

Some 48,132 registered voters have participated in Civiqs' ongoing online survey into DeSantis' popularity between May 18, 2022, when it was launched, and July 26, 2023.

Speaking to Newsweek, a Civiqs employee said the company surveys an average of around 110 people per day on DeSantis, with the data fed into a statistical model that "smooths out daily sampling variation" and adjusts for demographic variations.

Newsweek has contacted the DeSantis presidential campaign for comment via email.

Earlier this week his team reportedly fired 38 staffers in a bid to reset their campaign and reduce expenditure.

Speaking to NBC News, a DeSantis advisor said: "We had too many people, that's absolutely fair to say."

In a statement Generra Peck, DeSantis' campaign manager, commented: "Following a top-to-bottom review of our organization, we have taken additional, aggressive steps to streamline operations and put Ron DeSantis in the strongest position to win this primary and defeat Joe Biden.

"Governor DeSantis is going to lead the Great American Comeback and we are ready to hit the ground running as we head into an important month of the campaign."

On Wednesday DeSantis said he would consider giving Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the vaccine skeptic running for the Democratic presidential nomination, a position in his administration if he reaches the White House.

Asked whether Kennedy could be his vice-presidential pick in an interview with Outkick's Clay Travis, he said: "Here's the issue: I'm aligned with him on [former presidential medical adviser Dr. Anthony] Fauci, the corruption and the health bureaucracy—100 percent…But, at the end of the day, he's more liberal."

DeSantis went on to suggest Kennedy could be given a position within the Food and Drug Administration or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.