A new poll shows former President Trump leading President Biden by seven points in Michigan. Published by the Detroit Free Press The election, held Sunday, produced a wide margin that highlights Democratic concerns about Biden’s candidacy.
The poll puts Trump at 49% in the state, Biden at 42%, with 9% of voters undecided. Including third-party candidates, Trump leads Biden 43-36, with independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. holding 8% of the support.
“It just puts even more pressure on Biden to step aside and be replaced,” pollster Bernie Porn told the Free Press. “It puts Democrats in a tough spot.”
The Michigan poll was notable for showing Trump leading in every region of the state, including the Democratic stronghold of metro Detroit. The poll showed Trump leading Biden 46-44 percent in the Detroit area, a stark contrast to the 2020 election results, in which Biden won the region 56-40 percent.
Compared to the previous Free Press poll, Trump has more than doubled his lead in Michigan overall since Biden stumbled during the candidates’ first debate in late June.
There has been growing pressure among Democrats, including five senators and dozens of House members, to drop out of the presidential race amid concerns he may not be able to beat Trump in November’s election, even as Biden remains committed to being his party’s nominee.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (Democrat) has been floated as a possible successor to Biden if he were to drop out of the race, but she has rejected that idea. Many Democrats appear to be leaning toward Vice President Kamala Harris if Biden were to drop out.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-Va.) joined the growing chorus on Sunday.
“It is with a heavy heart that I make this decision, but I believe it is time to pass the baton to a new generation,” Manchin said. “I urge him to use his remaining five months in office to unite our country, calm speech and focus on world peace.”
The poll found that 47 percent of Democrats thought Biden should drop out of the race, and about one in five said Harris should take over.
President Trump attended a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Saturday.
The Free Press poll surveyed about 600 voters and has a margin of error of 4 percentage points.
