Joe Biden Surges To Double-Digit Lead As Donald Trump’s Approval Ratings Drop
According to a Washington Post/ABC News poll released on Sunday, former Vice President Joe Biden has surged past President Donald Trump nationwide.
The poll showed Biden at 53 percent, 10 percentage points ahead of Trump, among registered voters. Among all Americans, Biden’s lead was 13 points. Just two months ago, the two men were virtually tied in most polls.
Biden appears to have made inroads with key voting blocs. For instance, 50 percent of suburban voters said that they view the former vice president favorably. In 2016, presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s favorability rating among suburbanites was only 38 percent.
Furthermore, Biden came in stronger than Trump among white women, 51 percent of whom said they would back him in November, while 45 percent expressed support for Trump. In 2016, Trump beat Clinton among white women by nine points, according to exit polling.
Notably, senior citizens appear to prefer Biden over Trump. The poll showed the Democrat with a 10-point lead over Trump, who beat Clinton among seniors four years ago.
However, Biden is struggling with Hispanic voters. Fifty-six percent of Hispanics said that they hold a favorable view of the former vice president. In comparison, 76 percent viewed Clinton favorably.
The lack of enthusiasm for his candidacy is another issue for Biden. Only 68 percent of the former vice president’s supporters said that they would definitely vote for him in November. Eighty-seven percent of Trump supporters said the same of their candidate.
Trump’s approval ratings have slipped. Two months ago, the president’s overall approval rating was at its highest point, but now it seems to be back in the negative territory, with 53 percent of voters disapproving of his job performance. Similarly, 53 percent said that they disapprove of the way Trump has handled the coronavirus pandemic.
“Against a rapidly changing backdrop — with the coronavirus far from contained, the prospects for the economy remaining rocky as many businesses begin to reopen and violence convulsing cities across the nation — the poll captures the moment,” The Washington Post noted.
“But it is not predictive as to the political fallout and implications for November, especially given the possible disparity between the popular vote and the electoral college results as was the case in 2016.”
When it comes to Trump’s handling of the economy, his ratings are still in the positive territory, but they have nevertheless slipped since March. Fifty-two percent said they approve of how the commander-in-chief has managed the economy, while 44 percent said they disapprove. Voters were evenly split over whether Trump or Biden would do a better job handling economic recovery.
