--- ---  # Donald Trump Leads in New Poll Despite Electability Doubts by [Ryan Teague Beckwith](https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/) ## Ryan Teague Beckwith Aug 18, 2015 3:44 PM UTC  Donald Trump leaves Manhattan Supreme Court in New York City on August 17, 2015. Donald Trump leaves Manhattan Supreme Court in New York City on August 17, 2015.Andrew Burton—Getty Images by [Ryan Teague Beckwith](https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/) ## Ryan Teague Beckwith Aug 18, 2015 3:44 PM UTC Donald Trump remains the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination in [the latest CNN poll](http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2015/images/08/17/rel8a.-.gop.2016.pdf), though many voters worry he wouldn’t be the best candidate in the general election. The real estate mogul was backed by 24% of Republican voters nationally, followed by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush at 13% and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson at 8%. Another candidate who has never held elected office, former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, saw a bump since the last CNN poll, which was taken before the Aug. 7 Fox News debate in Cleveland. Fiorina, who had previously never gotten more than 2% in a CNN poll, received 5% support. That was enough to bring her into the third tier of candidates, alongside Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Still, Republicans remain skeptical about Trump’s chances, with 58% saying the GOP would have a better chance of winning the White House with someone else as the nominee, and only 38% saying it would do better with Trump on the ballot. The poll of 506 voters who described themselves as Republicans or independents who lean Republican was taken Aug. 13-16 by CNN and ORC International and included both landline and cell phones. The margin of error for the Republican voters was plus or minus 4.5 percentage points. ### See Donald Trump Hanging Out With Unlikely Celebrities  Donald Trump, owner of New York's Trump Tower, holds the bridle of a polo pony while talking to Andy Warhol on Nov. 4, 1983. Mario Suriani—AP  Donald Trump, Don King and Barbara Walters on Dec. 12, 1987. Ron Galella—Getty Images  Professional Wrestler Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant With Donald Trump. Russell Turiak—Getty Images  Heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, his wife, actress Robin Givens and Donald Trump, leave the New York State Supreme Court building on July 22, 1988. Charles Wenzelberg—AP  Developer Donald Trump is flanked by super middleweight champion Thomas Hearns, left, of Detroit, and Michael Olajide of Canada at a news conference in New York on Feb. 15, 1990. Timothy Clary—AP  Alec Baldwin is joined by Donald Trump and Melania Knauss at benefit for the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund at the Marriott Marquis Hotel on October 8, 1999. Richard Corkery—NY Daily News Archive/Getty Images  Katie Couric, left, co-host of NBC-TV's "Today" show, is dressed like Donald Trump, right, during a spoof of his "The Apprentice" reality television show, on the morning program's annual Halloween segment on Oct. 29, 2004. Richard Drew—AP  Donald Trump and Larry King arrive at the Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump in New York on March 9, 2011. Charles Sykes—AP  Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino, left, and Donald Trump appear onstage at the Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump in New York on March 9, 2011. Charles Sykes—AP  Snoop Dogg and Donald Trump arrive at the Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump in New York on March 9, 2011. Charles Sykes—AP  Martha Stewart and Donald Trump at Richard "Skip" Bronson's, "The War at the Shore" Book Publication Party held at Loews Regency Hotel in New York City on June 11, 2012. Sylvain Gaboury—Sipa USA  Tiger Woods stands with Donald Trump as he holds the Gene Serazen Cup for winning the Cadillac Championship golf tournament on March 10, 2013, in Doral, Fla. Wilfredo Lee—AP  Donald Trump and recording artist and host Nick Jonas joke around onstage during the 2013 Miss USA pageant at PH Live at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on June 16, 2013 in Las Vegas. Ethan Miller—Getty Images Donald Trump Poll: CNN Finds Him Leading Republicans ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4001608/donald-trump-poll-republican-2016/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4001608/donald-trump-poll-republican-2016/"},"headline":"Donald Trump Leads in New Poll Despite Electability Doubts","datePublished":"2015-08-18T15:44:29.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:02:00.733Z","description":"Republicans worry he wouldn't do well in the general election","url":"https://time.com/4001608/donald-trump-poll-republican-2016/","keywords":["Donald Trump","2016 Election topic","jeb bush","Polling","Dr. Benjamin S. 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