Donald Trump is in first place among 2016 GOP presidential candidates in the latest poll, but his lead now stands at just 2 points ahead of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a sign that Trump's comments about Arizona Sen. John McCain may have taken a toll on his popularity.
In a poll by the left-leaning
Public Policy Polling conducted July 20-21 of 1,087 primary voters, Trump has 19 percent support compared to 17 percent for Walker.
The poll found the following support for other candidates seeking the GOP nomination:
- Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush at 12 percent
- Former pediatric neurosurgeon Ben Carson and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio tied at 10 percent
- Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee at 8 percent
- Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul tied at 4 percent
- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Ohio Gov. John Kasich both at 3 percent
- Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum tied at 1 percent
Trump maintains his slim lead despite the finding that just 22 percent of Republicans agree with the comments he made disputing whether McCain was a war hero. Fifty percent disagree.
The poll also found that Trump's favorability has slipped from earlier polls and now stands at 48 percent compared to 39 percent. In previous polls conducted by PPP, his favorability ratings were in the 50s. This may be another sign that the spat with McCain has damaged Trump's standing.
The tiff over the weekend between Trump and McCain began after McCain accused Trump of bringing out the "crazies" with his comments about illegal immigration during a rally in Arizona.
Trump retaliated by questioning McCain's status as a war hero due to the time he spent as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.
"He's not a war hero," Trump said. "He's a war hero because he was captured? I like people who weren't captured. ... Perhaps he is a war hero, but right now, he said some very bad things about a lot of people."
Trump later criticized McCain for doing a "horrible job" on behalf of veterans, while refusing to apologize for the "war hero" comments.
Despite the damage the feud may have done to the multibillionaire businessman's polling figures, the poll also found that Trump has broad support across the GOP electorate.
Among voters who describe themselves as "very conservative" he has 20 percent support compared to 17 percent support for Walker. He also leads among moderates with 22 percent support compared to 19 percent for Bush.
And Trump also has the lead among primary voters who say they prioritize having a candidate who is the most conservative on the issues, as well as with primary voters who say their biggest concern is winning the election.
"Donald Trump continues to lead the Republican primary field," Dean Debnam, president of Public Policy Polling, said in a statement. "But there are signs his decline may be starting with GOP voters."