For the first time since announcing his White House bid, real estate mogul Donald Trump has finally overtaken former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush in a national poll in what seems to be a vindication of his anti-Mexican remarks.
According to the new Economist/YouGov poll, the media coverage on Trump's inflammatory comment against migrant workers from Mexico pushed Trump to the top of all Republican presidential candidates.
The survey, released on Thursday, revealed that 15 percent of Republican voters prefer voting for the business magnate, giving him a four-point lead over Bush and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul who were in a tie for second place with 11 percent Republican voters' preference.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee shared the third spot with 9 percent each while retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson took the fourth spot with 7 percent.
Kathy Frankovic, one of the world's leading experts in public opinion polling, said aside from being GOP majority's top choice, Trump also turned out to be the primary second choice for those who preferred another bet as their nominee.
"Trump looks even better as a candidate this week when Republicans are asked for their second choice. When they are, Trump extends his lead," Frankovic said, according to an article posted on YouGov's website.
"One in four Republicans who are registered to vote say he is their first or second choice," she added, showing that 12 percent of Republican participants said they have Trump next in line for their vote.
It's a huge lead especially if you compare it to the 7 percent of GOP voters, who supported Bush or Paul to be their safety candidate.
But while Trump may be ahead in the national surveys this week, registered Republican voters gave him a very weak chance of holding on to that spot in the long run with a vast majority of them believing Bush can do it.
Twenty-nine percent said they think the son and brother of two former US presidents would ultimately claim the GOP presidential nomination against Trump's 7 percent, according to The Hill.
Perhaps, this might be the reason why Trump seemed to have thrown an indirect jab at Bush by walloping his brother, former US President George W. Bush, for charging $100,000 to speak to a group of severely wounded war veterans.
"You mean George Bush sends our soldiers into combat, they are severely wounded, and then he wants $120,000 to make a boring speech to them?" Trump told his 3.1 million followers on Twitter, according to News Max.
Earlier, ABC News reported that the former American chief executive charged S100,000 to speak for a fundraiser for US military veterans that was sponsored by Texas-based charity group called Helping a Hero.
The news outfit revealed that Bush was also given a private jet to travel to the event at a cost of $20,000 while his wife, former First Lady Laura Bush, asked for $50,000 fee to appear before veteran soldiers a year earlier.
