Joe Biden Takes Double-Digit Lead Over Donald Trump: Poll

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Joe Biden Takes Double-Digit Lead Over Donald Trump: Poll

A harbinger of things to come or 2016 repeat?

 

Former Vice President Joe Biden takes a fifteen-point lead over President Donald Trump in the most recent Quinnipiac University poll, the widest margin Biden has seen from the university’s polling institute.

The national poll released Wednesday revealed that registered voters back Biden at 52% and Trump at 37%. Biden’s lead is nearly double what it was last month.

 

The president’s overall approval ratings remain at 36%, a six-point decrease from June. Trump’s net job approval ratings are the worst they’ve been in over two years.

“Yes, there’s still 16 weeks until Election Day, but this is a very unpleasant real time look at what the future could be for President Trump. There is no upside, no silver lining, no encouraging trend hidden somewhere in this survey for the president,” Tim Malley, a Quinnipiac University polling analyst, said.

Voters also gave Biden a five-point lead in terms of who would handle the economy better at 50%, with Trump trailing behind at 45%. Just last month, Trump was ahead at 51% and Biden at 46%.

Trump’s approval rating on handling the economy, which has been the president’s strongest issue while in office, tanked, stands at 44% and Biden’s at 42%. The president’s net economic score is the lowest it’s been since August 2017.

Biden also leads in a number of other key issues including, “handling a crisis” (57-38), “handling health care” (58-35), “coronavirus response” (59-35) and “addressing racial inequality” (62-30).

Biden’s jump in the poll is partially due to an overwhelming amount of independent voters, according to Quinnipiac University. Last month, the group was divided between the two candidates, but now Biden holds a seventeen-point independent voter lead over Trump. 

The results of the poll come as the presidential elections are less than four months away. Recent polls have shown Trump to be underwater, especially because of his coronavirus response and handling of the economic crisis.

Voters were surveyed nationwide from July 9 to 13, with 1,273 participants and a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.

Rachel Bucchino is a reporter at the National Interest. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, U.S. News & World Report and The Hill.

Image: Reuters