Joe Biden Expands Lead Over Donald Trump In New CNBC Poll

The Democratic Party’s presumptive presidential nominee, Joe Biden, has expanded his national lead over President Donald Trump, according to the June CNBC All-America Economic Survey released on Thursday.

The poll found that 47 percent of registered voters support Biden, while 38 percent back Trump. The former vice president’s lead has increased 4 percentage points since April.

Biden gained ground among young voters as well as among wealthier individuals, increasing his overall support among Democrats by seven percentage points since April. Trump, on the other hand, saw an 11-point decrease in support among independents.

Furthermore, Trump’s overall approval rating has decreased since April. In the poll, 39 percent of voters said that they approve of the president’s job performance, while 52 percent said that they disapprove.

As CNBC noted, this “was a sharp turnaround from his positive approval rating in April.”

“That bump into positive territory now looks to have been more of a reflexive reaction in which Americans rally to the president during times of national crises. It has proven to be short-lived.”

According to the survey, voters trust Biden more than Trump on all issues but one.

The former vice president led by 25 points on policies for racial equality, 16 points on health care, and 14 points on dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. The respondents also said that they trust Biden over Trump when it comes to immigration and dealing with China.

When it comes to handling the U.S. economy, people seem to trust Trump. In this regard, the commander-in-chief had a 6-point advantage over Biden.

“The economy may be what President Trump’s saving grace is going forward,” opined Democratic pollster Jay Campbell.

Still, Trump’s approval rating on the economy dropped from 52 percent in April to 46 percent, while his disapproval rating increased from 38 to 46 percent. Notably, 42 percent of independents said that they believe the president would handle the economy better than Biden. Only 26 percent of them said that the former vice president would do a better job in this respect.

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the U.S. economy, leading to unprecedented job loss. Nevertheless, the survey found that Americans remain largely optimistic about the future, with 51 percent of employed voters saying they expect the situation to improve in the next year.

But, as CNBC pointed out, the improvement “has been driven almost entirely by Republicans” with a net positive view of the economy. This was a contrast to the “deeply downbeat assessments from Democrats and independents.”

The poll is in line with recent national surveys showing Biden beating Trump. A Harvard CAPS/Harris survey released earlier this week put the Democrat 12 percentage points ahead of Trump nationwide.