Poll: Donald Trump Approval Ratings Plunge As Joe Biden Surges Ahead

According to a CNN poll released early Monday, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has surged to a 14-point lead over President Donald Trump nationwide.

The poll found that 55 percent of Americans support Biden, while 41 percent back Trump. Both candidates’ supporters appear to be enthusiastic about voting, Trump’s even more so. Seventy-three percent of the president’s supporters said they are extremely or very enthusiastic about voting in November.

Biden has struggled to generate enthusiasm for his candidacy, but the tide appears to have turned. Sixty-nine percent of the former vice president’s backers said they are very or extremely enthusiastic about voting. Overall, 53 percent of Democrats said they are extremely enthusiastic about casting a ballot in November.

However, Biden supporters are not exactly enthusiastic about Biden himself. Rather, the enthusiasm appears to be a product of their opposition to Trump. Sixty percent of Biden backers said they are enthusiastic about voting against Trump, while 37 percent said that they are enthusiastic about voting for Biden.

Trump’s overall approval rating is at its worst point since January 2019, with 38 percent of Americans approving of his job performance and 57 percent disapproving. His approval rating is now similar to Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush’s at this point in their reelection years — both men served only one term in the White House.

For Trump, the decline in approval ratings comes as the nation grapples to deal with the coronavirus pandemic amid nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd. The survey found that 84 percent of Americans feel like peaceful protests against police brutality are justified. Twenty-seven percent believe violent protests are justified.

Furthermore, there has been an increase in the share of Americans who say racism is a big problem in the United States. Eighty-eight percent of African-Americans believe racism is a big issue; 79 percent of Latinos and 60 percent of white Americans agree with that assessment.

Forty-two percent of Americans said that race relations are extremely important to their vote. In this regard, Biden seems to have an advantage, with 63 percent of respondents saying the former vice president would handle race relations better than Trump.

The poll’s findings are consistent with other recent surveys, which seems to suggest that Biden is a slight favorite to win the 2020 presidential election. According to Trump, however, CNN‘s poll is “Fake.”

“CNN Polls are as Fake as their Reporting. Same numbers, and worse, against Crooked Hillary. The Dems would destroy America!” the president wrote in a Twitter message.