Trump tells donors 'we need to elect JD'
Donald Trump Jr. rose with 3 of 4 pollsters (+2.5).
The Washington Post reported on 6 August 2026 that Donald Trump had privately told donors 'at the end of the day, we need to elect JD', the clearest signal yet of support for JD Vance over Marco Rubio, though no endorsement followed. How the polls moved before and after. Comparing each pollster with itself: its last poll before 5 August 2026 and its first poll starting on or after 7 August 2026, for the 6 pollsters that polled in both periods.
The polls moved after these events. That does not mean the events caused the change: other news happened in the same weeks, and each poll has a margin of error of about 2 to 3 points.
Change by party or candidate
6 pollsters| Candidate | Average change | Range | Pollsters up / down | Verdict | Average now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donald Trump Jr. | +2.5 | -2.0 … +6.0 | 3 / 1 | Rose with most pollsters | 11.9% |
| Nikki Haley | +1.0 | -1.0 … +2.0 | 2 / 1 | Mixed | 4.0% |
| Robert F. Kennedy Jr. | +0.8 | -1.0 … +3.0 | 2 / 1 | Little change | 5.0% |
| JD Vance | -0.7 | -3.0 … +2.0 | 2 / 3 | Little change | 38.6% |
| Ron DeSantis | -0.4 | -3.0 … +1.0 | 2 / 2 | Little change | 8.2% |
| Marco Rubio | -0.3 | -5.0 … +5.0 | 2 / 3 | Little change | 22.7% |
| Vivek Ramaswamy | -0.3 | -1.0 … +1.0 | 1 / 2 | Little change | 1.0% |
| Ted Cruz | 0.0 | -1.0 … +1.0 | 2 / 2 | Little change | 2.9% |
Each pollster, before and after
Before ≤ 5 Aug · After ≥ 7 Aug| Pollster | Before | After | Trump Jr. | Haley | Kennedy Jr. | Vance | DeSantis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Echelon Insights | 13 Jul | 21 Sept | -2.0 | – | 0.0 | 0.0 | -1.0 |
| McLaughlin & Associates | 23 Jun | 24 Aug | +5.0 | +2.0 | – | -3.0 | +1.0 |
| Big Data Poll | 28 Jun | 15 Sept | – | +2.0 | -1.0 | +1.0 | 0.0 |
| Harvard Harris | 12 Jul | 28 Sept | +6.0 | -1.0 | +3.0 | -3.0 | – |
| Focaldata | 30 Jun | 11 Aug | +1.0 | – | +1.0 | +2.0 | +1.0 |
| Quantus Insights | 7 Jul | 28 Aug | – | – | – | -1.0 | -3.0 |
End of fieldwork; each date links to the poll's source. Changes in points.
What happened
- 12 May · Trump floats Vance and Rubio as a possible 2028 'dream team' ticket, saying it is not an endorsement.
- 6 Aug · The Post reports Trump's remark, made at an Oval Office meeting with donors about two weeks earlier; advisers say no endorsement is settled.
Sources
- Political Wire, Trump tells donors 'We need to elect JD' (6 Aug 2026)
- Israel Hayom, Trump privately urges donors to back Vance in 2028 (6 Aug 2026)
- WJLA (TNND), Trump tells donors to support Vance for 2028: report (6 Aug 2026)
- TIME, Vance or Rubio? Trump discusses 2028 presidential ticket (12 May 2026)
How we measure
- Same pollster, before and after: comparing different pollsters would mistake their usual differences for movement.
- A candidate 'rose' or 'fell' only when at least 3 pollsters all moved the same way and the average change is 1.5 points or more; under 1 point is 'little change'; anything else is 'mixed'.
- Events are chosen by Sondagio and described from the cited sources. Polls: every published poll, as in the race's average.
- Independence: Sondagio's founder has no ties to any candidate or campaign. No figures are adjusted by hand.