| Reuters |
The recent survey findings reveal a notable narrowing of the gap between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump in approval ratings for the upcoming 2024 U.S. election, effectively placing them in a near-tie regarding support. With the forthcoming election anticipated to be closely contested, the competition between the two presidential contenders to secure swing states is expected to intensify.
Conducted jointly by the New York Times (NYT) and Siena College and released on the 13th (local time), the survey indicated that Trump garnered 46% approval in a head-to-head matchup while Biden received 45%. The margin of error of ±3.3% suggests a virtual deadlock. In contrast, in the NYT’s previous February poll, Trump held 48% approval compared to Biden’s 43%. The survey sampled 1,059 voters from the 7th to the 11th.
There is evidence of a resurgence in support among voters who backed Biden in the 2020 election. The proportion of respondents who previously voted for Biden and continue to support him has risen from 83% in February to 89% in this latest poll. Additionally, there has been an uptick in support from African Americans and Latinos. Conversely, the percentage of Trump’s original supporters who remain steadfast in their backing has decreased from 97% to 94% over the same period.
Both candidates faced greater voter antipathy than favorability. Respondents who evaluated each candidate negatively accounted for 56% for Biden and 55% for Trump, while those expressing positive opinions amounted to 41% for Biden and 43% for Trump.
President Biden’s weaknesses were attributed to his age and policies. 69% of voters considered Biden, at 81, to be too old to serve as president again. Nearly 80% of voters also assessed the current U.S. economy as either not improving or poor. Former President Trump’s weakness lies in legal risks. More than half, 54%, of respondents believed that Trump had committed significant federal crimes. Nevertheless, only 26% of respondents showed considerable concern about his legal issues. The New York Times remarked that “this survey is evidence that the two candidates will engage in a close contest in this year’s election” and “minimal changes could have a decisive impact on the outcome.”
According to evaluations, Trump received higher support in the seven states considered battlegrounds. In a survey conducted by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) from the 17th to the 24th of last month, excluding Wisconsin, Trump led Biden by approximately 1 to 6 percentage points in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and North Carolina.
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