A new poll shows the race for the White House between former President Donald Trump and President Biden is close.
Trump, 78, and Biden, 81, each received 49% of the support of voters nationwide. According to an NPR/PBS News/Marist poll released TuesdayThe presumptive Republican nominee’s approval rating has increased by one point since the last poll in late May, while the Democratic incumbent’s approval rating has fallen by one point.
When other candidates are included, Trump leads Biden 42% to 41%, followed by Independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (11%), Independent Cornel West (3%), Green Party candidate Gillespie (1%) and Libertarian Party candidate Chase Oliver (1%).
The poll concluded that Kennedy received equal support from both Trump and Biden voters, but that the combined support of West, Stein and Oliver reduced Biden’s vote share by 7 percentage points.
Among those who said they would definitely vote on November 5, Trump had a slight lead, winning 50% to 49% in head-to-head contests and beating Biden 44% to 43% in five-way contests.
Approval ratings for both major party candidates were similarly low, with 53% of each saying they had an unfavorable view of them.
But among registered voters, Biden slightly outperforms Trump in favorability ratings, with 43% saying they approve of the president and 42% saying they have a good impression of his predecessor.
Another key result from the poll showed that Trump led Biden by 7 percentage points (48% to 41%) among so-called “double haters” – voters who dislike both candidates.
But Biden leads Trump among self-identified independents by 2 percentage points (50% to 48%), a rare presidential lead among such a key voting group.
“While the top-line results remain broadly consistent, there are some interesting developments happening below the surface,” Lee Miringoff, president of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, said in a statement.
“Since Trump’s conviction in the New York hush money trial, some familiar electoral patterns have re-emerged: Biden’s support has risen among independents and non-whites, while Trump’s support has risen among whites.”
Trump’s May 30 conviction on 34 counts of business fraud brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg came as a shock to voters, with 51% saying Trump “definitely” or “probably” should go to prison for the crimes.
Voters were divided over who is best able to address most of the pressing challenges facing the United States, with Trump winning on the economy (54% to 45%), immigration (54% to 44%) and America’s role on the world stage (50% to 49%), while Biden led on abortion (55% to 41%) and preserving democracy (53% to 45%).
Trump and Biden are scheduled to face off in the first presidential debate of the general election cycle on June 27 in Atlanta.
Nearly two-thirds (65%) of registered voters said they plan to watch the debate, while 22% said they won’t watch it but plan to follow the news afterwards, and 12% said they won’t be paying any attention.
The poll was conducted June 10-13 among 1,184 registered voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.
