Donald Trump leads by 20 points in South Carolina: poll

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump has a 20-point lead over his nearest competitor in the early state of South Carolina, according to a new poll that also showed support for the billionaire businessman tick up in the wake of his recent proposal to bar Muslims from traveling into the United States.

Mr. Trump was at 35 percent in the Fox News poll, followed by retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson at 15 percent and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida at 14 percent apiece.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush was next at 5 percent, and no other candidate was above 2 percent.

The survey was conducted Saturday through Tuesday evenings. Mr. Trump’s campaign released his proposal to temporarily bar Muslims from coming into the country on Monday afternoon, and he reiterated that call during an appearance in South Carolina Monday evening.

Support for Mr. Trump increased from 30 percent the first two nights to 38 percent the last two nights, though the shift was within the margin of error.

“There are enough people in the last two nights of the sample to question the widespread assumption that Trump’s comments will hurt him among GOP primary voters,” GOP pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts the Fox News poll with Democratic pollster Chris Anderson, told the news network.

National security was the most important issue for GOP primary voters at 39 percent, followed by economic issues at 24 percent, immigration at 16 percent, and social issues at 6 percent.

Twenty-five percent of voters said Mr. Trump is most qualified to handle national security, compared to 18 percent who chose Mr. Cruz and 11 percent who said Mr. Rubio.

Meanwhile, 48 percent said Mr. Trump is most qualified to handle the economy, compared to 9 percent for Mr. Bush and 9 percent for Mr. Cruz.

Forty-two percent said Mr Trump is most likely to beat former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton next November. Mr. Rubio was second at 14 percent.

Twenty-four percent still said they would never support Mr. Trump for the nomination, and he was followed on that question by Mr. Bush at 19 percent.

On the Democratic side, Mrs. Clinton led Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont by 44 points, 65 percent to 21 percent. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley was at 3 percent.