A new poll shows that President Biden is leading former President Donald Trump among registered voters despite his fumble in the June 27 debate and ahead of all other Democratic candidates, including Vice President Kamala Harris.
of NPR/PBS News/Marist College National Poll According to the poll released Friday, 50% of voters nationwide support Biden’s candidacy in 2024, while 48% support him taking on Trump head-to-head. Just 2% are still undecided.
The 81-year-old incumbent president saw his approval rating rise after being tied with Trump among voters in a head-to-head poll conducted by the outlet last month, 49 percent to 49 percent.
Harris, 59, would also enjoy 50% support from registered voters if Biden abandons his reelection campaign, while Trump would enjoy 49% support if he does not face off against his 2020 opponent again.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, who has defended the president following his debate gaffes, has the same approval rating for Trump as Biden (50% to 48%).
And Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who defended Biden but said she wouldn’t mind an evaluation of the president’s mental health, is likely tied with Trump, 49% to 49%.
The close margin in the popular vote likely means that Trump, 78, has enough support in key states to secure an Electoral College victory.
If the six candidates were to contest the presidential election, Trump would be leading with the support of 43% of likely voters, followed by Biden (42%), independent candidates Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (8%) and Cornel West (3%), and Green Party candidate Jill Stein (2%).
Libertarian Party candidate Chase Oliver failed to crack 1% in the polls.
Among voters who say they plan to vote in November, Trump and Biden are tied at 45% each.
The findings of the Marist College poll, along with a poll conducted Thursday by Ipsos for ABC News and The Washington Post, are likely to provide a boost to Biden and his supporters, who say he should remain in the presidential race.
But after a dismal performance in the debates with President Trump, the White House is losing support from party insiders, big donors and top Democrats.
The president similarly failed to allay concerns during an hour-long press conference on Thursday night, stuttering and even confusing the names of his vice president and his biggest political rival.
“Look, if I didn’t think President Trump was qualified to be president, I wouldn’t have chosen him to be my vice president,” Biden said to groans from some reporters at NATO’s annual summit, just hours after introducing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “President Putin.”
Since what White House staff called a “big boy” press conference, three more House Democrats have come forward to call for the oldest president in history to step down.
“The 2024 election will determine the future of American democracy, and we must put up the strongest candidate possible to counter the threat of MAGA authoritarianism promised by Trump, and I no longer believe that is Joe Biden,” said Intelligence Committee Chairman Jim Himes (D-Conn.).
It’s a move supported by two-thirds of Americans and more than half of those who say they would vote for Biden if he appears on the ballot on November 5. ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos investigation.
At least one House Democrat also suggested Thursday that Harris would be the best option if Biden were to pull out.
“Vice President Harris is in great form. She has been vetted, she has been tested and she has been the most powerful messenger for the Democratic Party throughout this campaign. If we need her, and if we ever need her, she is the next choice. Let me be clear: if President Biden passes the baton, I will have my full support for Kamala Harris!” Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) Posted in X.
The Biden campaign is reportedly conducting internal polls that pit Harris against Trump, with some aides warning that the president “needs to back off” because “no one in the campaign thinks he has a chance.”
