Big endorsements haven’t moved the needle for Trump’s rivals in Iowa, poll finds

Republican politicians and organizations opposing former President Donald Trump have provided high-profile endorsements of other candidates over the past month in an effort to shift the race for the GOP presidential nomination.

But those endorsements have not changed the situation politically in Iowa, according to the new NBC News/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll of the state.

At least not yet.

In addition to showing Trump with a more than 30-point lead over his closest competition, the poll finds that a majority of likely Iowa Republican caucusgoers say the endorsements do not affect how they vote in the June 15 race. January.

Fifty-four percent of likely Republican caucusgoers say Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ endorsement of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis doesn’t matter to their voting chances.

That compares with 31% who say his support makes them more likely to vote for DeSantis (higher than the current level of DeSantis caucus support, but still not enough to catch up with Trump) and 14% who say they makes them less likely to support it.

After receiving Reynolds’ endorsement in early November, DeSantis earned 19% support among likely Iowa caucusgoers in the new poll, up slightly from the 16% he had in October, within the margin of error of the survey of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points. Trump, by comparison, went from 43% in October to 51% in November.

Meanwhile, 73% of likely caucusgoers say Iowa evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats’ endorsement of DeSantis doesn’t matter to them.

And 71% say Americans for Prosperity’s endorsement of former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley does not influence their voting choices. (Americans for Prosperity is the political arm of the conservative Koch political network.)

“These endorsements didn’t hurt Trump,” said pollster J. Ann Selzer, who conducted the NBC News/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll.

Respondent Mckray Smalley, 34, of Sheffield, says he remains undecided between Trump and DeSantis, although he might lean more in Trump’s direction.

Still, Smalley says, Reynolds’ endorsement of DeSantis doesn’t matter to him.

“I don’t care who backs who,” he said. “I make my own decision.”

Diana Arter, 74, of Waterloo, agrees. “I have to decide who I think will do a better job and I hope and pray that I make the right decision,” said Arter, who is also deciding between Trump and DeSantis.

While Reynolds’ endorsement doesn’t matter to most likely Iowa Republican caucusgoers, it hasn’t backfired on him either.

In the survey, 78% of potential caucusgoers have favorable opinions of Reynolds, compared to 20% who have unfavorable opinions.

That’s essentially the same as the NBC News/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll from August, when Reynolds’ rating was 81% favorable and 18% unfavorable.

“She’s wonderful,” said Gaylord Victora, 69, of Ames.

“But I want the candidate to stand on his own two feet,” Victora added, explaining why Reynolds’ endorsement of DeSantis hasn’t influenced her vote.

The NBC News/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll of 502 likely Republican caucusgoers was conducted Dec. 2-7 and has an overall margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.