In the aftermath of the recent debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, a USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll reveals that more registered voters believe Trump would handle key issues like the economy and immigration better than Biden. This sentiment extends to national security and dealing with China, where Trump also scores higher. Biden, however, is viewed more favorably in handling race relations and health care.
The poll, conducted with 1,000 registered voters between June 28 and 30, shows Trump leading Biden 41% to 38%, a slight increase for Trump since the last poll in May. Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. garnered 8% support, with other candidates receiving about 1% each. The poll’s margin of error is 3.1%.
A significant finding is that 51% of respondents now approve of Trump’s job performance during his presidency from 2017 to 2021, compared to 41% who approve of Biden’s current performance. This shift in perception is troubling for Biden, whose campaign is already facing challenges due to declining poll numbers and calls for him to withdraw from the race.
The economy remains a critical issue for voters, with 35% identifying it as their top concern. Despite a strong job market, low unemployment, and a booming stock market, 54% of Americans believe Trump would handle the economy better than Biden. This sentiment is echoed by voters like Robert Sawyer, a 23-year-old longshoreman from Baltimore, who feels the economy was better under Trump.
Trump also leads Biden in handling immigration (53% to 40%), national security (52% to 42%), and dealing with China (51% to 41%). Biden, however, is seen as better at handling race relations (51% to 41%) and health care (50% to 40%).
Leadership qualities also favor Trump, with 63% of respondents saying he has a “vision for the country,” compared to 54% for Biden. More voters believe Trump will keep his promises as president (46% to 42%). However, Biden is viewed as more honest and trustworthy (45% to 33%) and has the right experience to be president (60% to 52%).
Despite these challenges, Biden remains committed to his campaign, telling supporters in Madison, Wisconsin, “I’m staying in the race.” However, the poll indicates that Democrats are more open to replacing Biden as their nominee than Republicans are to replacing Trump. While 41% of Democrats want a new nominee, only 14% of Republicans and 12% of Trump supporters feel the same about their candidate.
The poll also highlights a broader discontent with both major-party candidates. Many voters are looking for new faces, with some considering third-party candidates like Green Party nominee Jill Stein. Megan Hollar, a 40-year-old educator from Cincinnati, Ohio, expressed a desire for new leadership, saying, “I feel like we are stuck in old thoughts and old ways, and we’re not really moving forward in the country.”
Despite the dissatisfaction, many Democrats and anti-Trump independents are still willing to support Biden in a race against Trump. Steve Sutton, a 55-year-old IT worker from Seattle, stated, “I’m a supporter of Biden and I’m a supporter of anti-Trump.”
The poll also found that debate watchers largely believe Trump outperformed Biden. A CNN poll conducted by SSRS showed that 67% of debate watchers thought Trump did better, compared to 33% for Biden. This perception is consistent with the USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll, where 51% of likely voters who watched or read about the debate approved of Trump’s performance, compared to 32% for Biden.
The CNN poll also revealed that 57% of debate watchers have no real confidence in Biden’s ability to lead the country, while 44% feel the same about Trump. Only 14% of debate watchers have a lot of confidence in Biden’s leadership, compared to 36% for Trump.
Debate watchers also believe Trump would handle immigration (55% to 27%), the economy (56% to 31%), and foreign policy (47% to 35%) better than Biden. However, Biden is trusted more to handle protecting democracy (44% to 38%) and abortion (42% to 34%).
The debate did little to change voters’ minds, with 81% saying it had no effect on their choice for president. Only 5% said it changed their minds about whom to vote for. Among those who were undecided or open to changing their minds before the debate, 9% said the debate had changed their minds, and 25% were reconsidering.
In summary, the recent polls indicate that Trump is viewed more favorably than Biden on several key issues and leadership qualities. While Biden retains support in areas like race relations and health care, the overall sentiment among voters suggests a challenging road ahead for his campaign.
Source: USA TODAY, CNN
