- Views of Ron DeSantis have declined since November, with nearly half of Americans rating him unfavorably now.
- Over the same period, Disney’s favorability has remained high and stable, with people siding with Disney against DeSantis by nearly 20 points.
- Just one in four have heard a lot about DeSantis’ announcement for President, and a plurality of those who have heard at least a little say it did not go well.
Disney Remains Broadly Liked Over the Last Year, While DeSantis’ Favorability Continues to Erode
Over the last year, views of Disney have remained steady, as nearly two in three Americans (63%) express favorable views. By contrast, views of DeSantis have declined substantially since November: he is now 16 points underwater with Americans overall (down from net +2 favorable in November) and has seen double-digit declines in favorability across party lines.
- Views of DeSantis have declined net 17 points among Democrats, 18 points among independents, and 19 points among Republicans.
Disney Is Seen As In the Right Against DeSantis’ Crusade
Democrats (net +67 Disney right), independents (net +28), and every racial group side with Disney over DeSantis, as do one in five Republicans (21%).
Just a Quarter Have Heard “a Lot” About DeSantis Announcing for 2024, Including Republicans
Republicans are most likely to report hearing “a lot” or “some” about the announcement (62%), though Democrats are more likely to say they have heard “a lot” about it (30%).
Americans’ Main Takeaway From DeSantis’ Announcement: Donald Trump
Most Americans across party lines view DeSantis’ announcement through the lens of comparisons to former President Donald Trump, including his running against Trump, similarities drawn between him and Trump, and his lag behind Trump in the polls.
Many Who Are Aware of DeSantis’ Announcement Say It Did Not Go Well
Majorities of Democrats (62%) and independents (51%) who heard about DeSantis’ announcement say it did not go well, while about one in three Republicans who heard about it (32%) agree.
“Making America Florida” Is Declining Further in Appeal As DeSantis’ Campaign Gets Underway
Since early April, Americans across party lines have cooled to the idea, driven by large declines among independents (net -31 appealing now, compared to net -5 in April) and Republicans (net +28 now, down from net +52).
About The Study
Global Strategy Group conducted public opinion surveys among a sample of 1,001 registered voters from June 2-June 5, 2023. 100 additional interviews were conducted among Hispanic voters. 72 additional interviews were conducted among Asian American and Pacific Islander voters. 100 additional interviews were conducted among African American voters. 100 additional interviews were conducted among independent voters. The survey was conducted online, recruiting respondents from an opt-in online panel vendor. Respondents were verified against a voter file and special care was taken to ensure the demographic composition of our sample matched that of the national registered voter population across a variety of demographic variables.