At 62%, Trump holds a comfortable lead over his top rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has the support of 16% of likely Republican primary voters, according to a CBS News/YouGov survey.
Despite the clear support, voters of Trump were likelier than others to say that he should participate in the debate he said he plans to skip, and that they also intend to watch the event.
At least 77% of likely GOP primary believe the recent indictments against the former president are politically motivated, and another 73% said Trump's legal troubles were a reason to vote for him, as they wish to show him support.
Sixty-one percent of GOP voters also believe Trump would be able to "beat" President Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential election, whereas just 35% said the same about DeSantis.
The poll, conducted from August 16-18 among 2,061 Americans, showed all other Republicans running for president in single digits. Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy was on 7%, ex-Vice President Mike Pence on 5%, and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott on 3%.