A new poll shows President Biden holding a narrow lead over former President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
of Fox News PollThe latest poll, released Wednesday, shows the incumbent president leading the former president 50% to 48% in a rematch of the 2020 election.
Biden, 81, maintains his advantage over Trump, 78, in a hypothetical five-way race, leading by one point, 43% to 42%.
The results represent a three-point change in support for Biden from a head-to-head poll last month, which showed Trump leading by one point, according to a Fox News poll.
When third-party candidates are included, Trump has benefited from a four-point increase in approval ratings, up from a three-point lead he had in May.
Biden’s rise in approval ratings coincides with optimism that the economy will reach its highest level ever under his presidency.
Thirty-two percent of registered voters say the economy is in “very good” or “good” shape, up from a Biden-era record high of 30% last month.
However, a majority of Americans (68%) felt the economy was “not very good” or “poor” under Biden.
The president also saw a surge in support among independents, putting him nine points ahead of President Trump.
In May, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee held a two-point lead over Biden among independents.
Trump’s advantages over Biden on two key issues – immigration and the economy – have declined significantly since last month.
On immigration, voters trust Trump nine points more than Biden, even though the former president enjoyed a 15-point trust advantage in May.
On the economy, Trump holds a 5-point lead over Biden, down from a 13-point lead last month.
“While there hasn’t been any significant movement in this poll since May, it’s enough to be a welcome polling spot for Biden,” Democratic pollster Chris Anderson, who runs the poll for Fox News with Republican pollster Daron Shaw, said in a statement.
“While it is true that voter approval ratings improved, perhaps more importantly, Trump’s leads on the economy and immigration have declined significantly, while Biden has maintained his leads on abortion and health care,” he added. “Without voters perceiving Trump as doing a much better job on the economy and immigration, the case for returning Trump to the presidency for some voters becomes much murkier.”
The poll, conducted June 14-17, found that President Trump’s hush money trial in Manhattan and the conviction of his eldest son, Hunter Biden, on a gun charge in Delaware did not have a significant impact.
Only 2% of voters said Trump’s conviction had moved them in support of the president, while the same number said Hunter’s conviction had moved them in support of the former president.
“The underlying demographic trends that have defined the race remain,” Shaw said.
“Biden has seen modest improvements in his support among women and seniors, and has maintained his support among younger voters and African-Americans despite significant declines compared to 2020,” he added.
Biden and Trump are due to face off next week in the first of two scheduled presidential debates ahead of the November election.
