A year before the 2024 presidential elections, a poll conducted by CNN showed former U.S. President Donald Trump leading current President Joe Biden by a narrow margin of 49 percent to 45 percent among registered voters. The network explained that Biden's chances for reelection are "affected by very negative indicators regarding his qualifications for the position, along with a general sentiment that things are going poorly in the United States, as well as dwindling support among key voter blocs."
According to the network, 51 percent of American voters stated they have no intention whatsoever of voting for Biden, while only 4 percent do not currently support him but say there is a chance they might. Nearly half, 48 percent, say they will not vote for Trump, with only 2 percent stating they do not currently support him but would consider it.
The network pointed out that Biden’s approval ratings in the poll have now noticeably weakened compared to several polls where he previously had significant leads, which were crucial for his election in 2020. Among voters under 35 years of age, 48 percent support Trump, while 47 percent support Biden. Political independents favor Trump at 45 percent compared to 41 percent for Biden. African American voters preferred Biden, with 73 percent compared to 23 percent for Trump, while Latino voters were nearly split, with 50 percent for Biden and 46 percent for Trump.
Among voters of color in general, a majority of women support Biden at 63 percent compared to 31 percent for Trump, while men are nearly divided, with 49 percent supporting Trump versus 46 percent for Biden. Only 25 percent of Americans believe Biden possesses the endurance and seriousness to effectively work as president, while 53 percent feel that Trump possesses these qualities more.
Around half of Democrats, only 51 percent, believe Biden has the strength and endurance to hold the position, compared to 90 percent of Republicans who say Trump has that. When asked if either is part of the problem or part of the solution in dealing with national issues, 61 percent of all Americans surveyed say Biden is part of the problem, and 57 percent say Trump is as well. Independents view Biden as part of the problem more than Trump, at 67 percent compared to 63 percent.
The network noted that these indicators reflect a significant decline in support for Biden compared to polling in 2020, and it is not expected that these percentages will change significantly over just one year. Biden’s approval rating of 39 percent, with 61 percent disapproving, is considerably worse than that of previous contemporary presidents at this stage of their reelection efforts. The only president with a much lower approval rating than Biden at this stage was Jimmy Carter.
The new poll found that 72 percent of all Americans surveyed say that things in the country today are going poorly. The vast majority have felt this way throughout Biden’s presidency. At best, 60 percent said things were going poorly. Voters who disapprove of Biden's performance and those who say things are going badly in the country strongly support Trump at a rate of 79 percent.
