BLACKWELL: All right. New this morning in the race for the White House Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump leading the pack in a new "Washington Post" poll, ABC News national poll as well. He has 32 percent here. Ben Carson coming in second with 22 percent. Marco Rubio the Florida senator at 11 percent. All right. With us now Jake Tapper, host of "STATE OF THE UNION" and "THE LEAD". Jake, what do you think about the surge now, what is behind the steady support for Donald Trump?</s>JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST, "STATE OF THE UNION": It's interesting because there are a lot of other Republican presidential candidates in the establishment lane, Rubio who you saw there in the national poll, but also Kasich, Chris Christie, and Jeb Bush and others, who think that post-Paris attacks, perhaps the Republican electorate will start thinking in their view more seriously about their candidacies. But, of course, we don't see any evidence in the polls that they are shifting the Republican voters. They still seem very focused on Trump and Carson, and perhaps Trump and Carson are still saying what the Republican electorate wants to hear when it comes to this very serious issue of national security.</s>BLACKWELL: And I understand you have a big exclusive coming up with former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.</s>TAPPER: That's right. When he resigned, shortly before he resigned or pushed out, depending on your point of view, the secretary of defense wrote a very pointed memo, we understand, to the administration criticizing the White House's Syria policy. We'll find out more about that memo, more about his disagreements with the White House on Syria, and, of course, what he thinks should be done now to combat the threat of</s>ISIS. BLACKWELL: All right. Jake Tapper, looking forward to it -- thank you so much.</s>TAPPER: Thanks, Victor.</s>BLACKWELL: "STATE OF THE UNION WITH JAKE TAPPER" starts at the top of the hour, 9:00 Eastern, right here on CNN. A quick break. We'll be back.
New Poll: Trump Leads GOP Field at 32 Percent.