By Paul Bedard, Washington Secrets Columnist. Media: Washington Examiner.

[embed]https://cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/19383/sd/1317123.mp4[/embed] Former President Donald Trump’s national polling lead over top challenger Ron DeSantis has expanded, and now, he tops the Florida Republican governor by nearly 2-1. The latest Rasmussen Reports survey previewed for Secrets put Trump ahead, 58%-30% among Republican voters. The last time Rasmussen pitted Trump against DeSantis in a poll, Trump led 45%-32%. DeSantis just finished a rollout of his campaign in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. Trump has recently stepped up his attacks on DeSantis. The just-released poll was conducted before DeSantis hit the road on his first campaign jaunt. Rasmussen noted that voters like DeSantis but still pick Trump first when it comes to their GOP primary vote next year. “Most Republican voters like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, but when it comes to who should get the GOP’s 2024 nomination, they prefer former President Donald Trump by a 28-point margin,” said the analysis. It added, "Among Republican voters, 70% have a favorable impression of DeSantis, including 37% with a very favorable opinion.” Republicans, though, appear vexed by the Trump-DeSantis choice. While they chose Trump over DeSantis in the primaries, they also predicted that DeSantis had a 54% chance of winning the primaries. And if the general election came down to DeSantis versus President Joe Biden, it would be tied 44%-44%.