WASHINGTON — We might be seeing the beginning of the end of Donald Trump.

After failing to outshine his more energetic opponents in the second 2016 GOP presidential debate, Trump has begun to slide in national primary polling, according to both the Real Clear Politics polling average and the HuffPost Pollster average:

The real estate mogul has made a habit of touting his performance in the polls since he first began to top the crowded field in August. The front-runner status has been such a part of Trump’s message to voters — that he’s a flat-out winner — that it will be interesting to see his response if, in fact, he finds himself losing to any of his rivals for the presidential nomination.

Trump’s demise has been predicted by pundits with each new controversy, from his comments about immigrants to his calling into question of Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) status as a war hero. But none of those moments translated into downward movement in the polls.

At the moment, however, Trump finds himself running neck and neck with retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson. According to a new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina are also surging in the race.

– This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.