A recent national poll conducted by CNN shows that three-quarters of voters believe that the Democratic Party would have a better chance of retaining the White House if someone other than President Biden were at the top of the ticket. Following Biden’s lackluster performance in a recent debate with former President Trump, there has been widespread concern among Democrats about his ability to win a second term in office. Vice President Kamala Harris was found to perform slightly better than Biden in a matchup against Trump.
The poll revealed that 75% of voters, including 56% of Democratic-aligned voters, believe that the Democratic Party would have a better chance of winning the presidency if Biden were replaced. On the other hand, 60% of voters, including 83% of Republican-aligned voters, feel that the GOP would have a better chance of winning with Trump as the nominee. Trump currently holds a six-point lead over Biden among registered voters, while Harris trails Trump by just two points in a hypothetical matchup.
The survey tested several other high-profile Democrats as possible replacements for Biden, should he step aside. These included California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, all of whom trailed Trump in hypothetical matchups. Despite these findings, Biden’s campaign has continued to assert that he has no intention of dropping out of the race. Biden’s support among Democratic voters has increased to 91%, up from 85% in April, while Trump’s support among Republicans remains steady at 93%.
A separate USA Today/Suffolk University poll conducted over the same period also showed Trump leading Biden among registered voters. Despite being within the margin of error, Trump’s lead in the poll raised concerns for the Biden campaign. This sentiment was echoed in the CNN poll, where 41% of Democrats expressed a desire to see Biden replaced at the top of the ticket. Trump supporters were found to be significantly more enthusiastic about their candidate compared to Biden supporters, which could impact voter turnout in the upcoming election.
Overall, the polls suggest a growing sense of unease within the Democratic Party about Biden’s chances of winning a second term. While Harris has been identified as a potentially stronger candidate against Trump, Biden’s campaign remains confident in his ability to secure re-election. The coming months will likely see increased scrutiny of Biden’s performance and growing pressure for him to step aside in favor of a more competitive candidate.
