Trump Leads Biden by 9% Points in Hypothetical Presidential Election Matchup...

Ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential election, a poll showed former President Donald Trump significantly leading President Joe Biden in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup. However, other polls conducted around the same time indicate a close race.

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According to a poll released on the 24th (local time) by The Washington Post (WP) and ABC News, former President Trump recorded 51% support in a hypothetical head-to-head contest, ahead of President Biden's 42%. This gap has widened compared to the February poll. Biden's approval rating dropped by 2 percentage points, while Trump's rose by 3 percentage points.

This margin is larger than what was observed in other recent polls. In a Fox News poll conducted from September 9 to 12, Biden and Trump were in a close race with 46% and 48%, respectively. A Quinnipiac University poll around the same time showed 47% to 46%. Last month, a Wall Street Journal poll showed a tie at 46% each.

WP described the latest poll results as “conflicting with other polls showing a tight race” and suggested it might be an outlier. The poll surveyed 1,006 voters nationwide from the 15th to the 20th, with a margin of error of ±3.5%.

In this poll, President Biden's approval rating for his administration stood at 37%. As Biden campaigns for re-election emphasizing his economic policy, “Bidenomics,” support for the Biden administration's economic policies fell to 30%, the lowest level since Biden took office, WP added.

Specifically, three out of four Americans responded that the economy is either not very good or bad. There was overwhelming negative evaluation regarding recent increases in gas prices and grocery costs. Positive evaluations were only 12% and 8%, respectively. Additionally, despite unemployment remaining below 4%, dissatisfaction with unemployment rates exceeded 57%.

Furthermore, 41% of respondents said the U.S. is providing too much support to Ukraine, up from 33% in the same survey conducted in February. Thirty-one percent said the support is appropriate, and 18% said it is too little.

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In this poll, 62% of Democratic-leaning respondents said the party should nominate someone other than President Biden. When asked in an open-ended question, “If not President Biden, who should be the candidate?” 20% of respondents expressed a preference for a third-party figure. Following that, Vice President Kamala Harris (8%), Senator Bernie Sanders (8%), and candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (9%) were the next most mentioned.

Among Republicans, despite various legal risks, former President Trump remains the frontrunner. Among Republican-leaning respondents, 54% supported Trump as the presidential candidate, followed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at 15%.