In a recent poll conducted by SSRS for CNN, it was revealed that former President Donald Trump has significantly widened his lead over President Joe Biden in national surveys. Trump’s lead now stands at a remarkable 6 points (49–43 percent), which is well beyond the margin of error. Surprisingly, 8% of the respondents are still undecided.
This is a significant shift from previous polls where Trump’s lead over Biden was much smaller or they were virtually tied, as indicated by RealClearPolitics’ average of polling data. Interestingly, this change occurred in April, coinciding with the start of Trump’s first criminal trial in Manhattan on 34 felony counts related to a hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels. It is worth noting that Daniels publicly stated in a letter back in 2018 that she did not have an affair with the future president.
“And in the coming rematch, opinions about the first term of each man vying for a second four years in the White House now appear to work in Trump’s favor, with most Americans saying that, looking back, Trump’s term as president was a success, while a broad majority says Biden’s has so far been a failure,” the polling firm said. “Republicans now are more unified around the idea that Trump’s presidency was a success than Democrats are that Biden’s has been one. Overall, 92% of Republicans call Trump’s time in office a success, while just 73% of Democrats say Biden’s has been a success so far. Among independents, 51% say Trump’s presidency was successful, while only 37% see Biden’s as a success,” the analysis continued.
In a five-way race featuring independent candidates Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Cornel West, as well as Green Party candidate Jill Stein, a CNN poll revealed that Trump holds 42% of the support, while Biden trails behind with 33%. Kennedy garners 16% of the support, West with 4%, and Stein with 3%. Interestingly, Kennedy draws 13% of his support from both Biden and Trump supporters in a two-way matchup.
According to voters, the economy holds greater significance compared to the past two presidential contests. A staggering 70% of all Americans express dissatisfaction with the current economic conditions in the U.S. Furthermore, other major issues vary significantly depending on party affiliation.
The analysis highlights that among Democratic-aligned voters, key concerns include protecting democracy (67%), abortion (54%), the economy (52%), gun policy (51%), and health care (49%). On the other hand, GOP-aligned voters prioritize the economy (79%), immigration (71%), crime (65%), and then democracy (54%).
Undoubtedly, Trump’s lead has grown due to increased support from voting blocs that traditionally lean heavily Democratic. Black voters, particularly black men, Hispanics, and young voters aged 18-29 have been steadily increasing their support for Trump. A recent survey conducted earlier this month revealed that Trump’s polling among the younger voter demographic has reached its lowest point in recent election cycles for the Democratic candidate.
“The latest Harvard Institute of Politics (IOP) Youth Poll shows Biden at 50% to Trump’s 37% in a head-to-head matchup among 18- to 29-year-olds. In a five-way race with Robert Kennedy Jr., Jill Stein, and Cornel West factored in, Biden’s lead shrinks even more among young voters as he leads Trump by just seven percentage points with 16% of those surveyed saying they were still undecided,” The Daily Wire reported on Thursday.
“In the 2020 election, both Gen Z (ages 18-23) and Millennial (ages 24-39) voters favored Biden by 20 percentage points, according to Pew Research,” the outlet noted further.
