RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – Donald Trump’s poll numbers in North Carolina are at their highest since his campaign began, a new poll shows.
Trump holds 33 percent of the vote to Ted Cruz’ 16 percent, according to Public Policy Polling.
Ben Carson and Marco Rubio holds 14 percent.
North Carolina was the first state to put Trump as head of the GOP pack, PPP said. A poll in July had Trump with a 16 percent.
PPP said Trump’s Islamophobia is a big reason why he appeals to his supporters.
“Jeb Bush’s supporters, they don’t support any of that kind of stuff, but there is this constituency within the Republican Party that wants all these anti-Muslim measures taken and Trump basically has the lockdown on their vote,” said Tom Jensen, director of PPP. “I think Trump probably has another month, and then the big determiner is going to be once you get to those last two or three weeks in January when people actually have to start thinking about filling out that ballot if it changes the way that people think about things.”
According to PPP, 67 percent of Trump’s voters support a national database of Muslims in the U.S. Only 14 percent oppose such a data base.
Sixty-two percent of his voters believe thousands of Arabs cheered in New Jersey on 9/11.
Trump entertained a crowd of thousands at Raleigh’s Dorton Arena Dec. 4.
On Monday, Trump released a highly controversial proposal to ban all Muslims from entering the U.S.
He stood by his plan Tuesday during a contentious interview on MSNBC’s Morning Joe saying, “It’s not unconstitutional, keeping people out.”
NC State senior Nida Allam immigrated to the U.S. when she was child, and says she’s concerned about the impacts of Trump’s comments.
“What’s scarier than what Donald Trump is saying is the responses from his supporters,” she said. “I’m on the same side as all Americans. I want America to be great. I’m going to live here. I want to raise kids here.”
