A new poll conducted after the first 2016 US Republican Party presidential debate revealed on Sunday that the celebrity mogul Donald Trump is still ahead of the crowded pack of candidates.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Trump continued to draw attention after Thursday’s primetime debate for attacking its moderator and refusing to apologize for suggesting there was blood "coming out of her wherever."

The NBC/Survey Monkey poll released on Sunday saw Trump gaining a percentage point from last week, enjoying the support of 23 percent of those surveyed.

The GOP currently boasts a total of 17 major and less well-known candidates. Trump has been leading the field, which includes former Florida governor and younger brother of ex-president George W. Bush, Jeb Bush, over the past several weeks.

The survey, conducted among a national sample of over 3,500 adults on August 7-8, showed the real estate tycoon receiving the worst performance assessment of the debate at 29 percent. Nonetheless, 18 percent of responders also said he did the best job in the debate.

Tea Party conservative Senator Ted Cruz gained the most support from last week after Thursday’s debates, jumping from 6 to 13 percent in the survey.

He was followed by former Hewlett Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina, who stood out among seven candidates featured in an earlier debate, with a 6-point increase in support.

Overall, Fiorina trails neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who gained 3 percent and enjoys a total of 11 percent support.

The next 2016 Republican presidential debate is scheduled to be aired by CNN and Salem Radio on September 16.

The first Democratic presidential debate is due on October 13.

The US presidential election is scheduled for November 8, 2016. President Barack Obama, a two-term Democrat, will end his second and final term in office on January 20, 2017.