trump mocked a new jersey cheered while the world trade center fell .
after months of waiting for donald trump ’s decline , republican insiders now concede the poll of the top strategists , operatives and activists in iowa is weak .
roughly three - in - four gop insiders in new hampshire and south carolina , many of whom have been repeatedly and consistently skeptical of trump ’s chances , now say he would win their states if their primaries were held today .
“ for the first time , i think the trump phenomenon is becoming real , ” a south carolina republican said .
the result offers a snapshot of the current state of primary play — with trump , cruz , and rubio grappling for wins in the early states — and chronicles republicans ’ slow acceptance of the real estate mogul as a contender with staying power .
trump was the favorite of 31 percent of republicans in a rolling poll in the five days ended on nov. 27 .
retired neurosurgeon ben carson has seen his poll numbers drift downward and now trails trump by more than half , with just 15 percent of republicans polled saying
following the attacks , trump told an nbc news reporter that he would support requiring all muslims within the united states to be registered to a special database , which his critics have likened to the mandatory registration of jews in nazi germany .
story continued below for this thanksgiving holiday week , marking the real estate mogul 's biggest decline since he vaulted to the top of the field in july , according to a reuters ipsos poll .