President Joe Biden is rapidly losing ground to Donald Trump, according to a recent poll from NBC News, which broke the former president’s “biggest lead” he’s had.
Election analyst Steve Kornacki and NBC’s Kristen Welker went through the larger results of the NBC News Survey conducted by Hart Research Associates/Public Opinion Strategies.
“These are some truly stunning numbers,” Welker said.
“They really are. Kristen,” Kondracki said.
“Let’s just start with the bottom line. When you ask folks, ‘Hey, if it’s the general election and it’s Trump versus Biden,’ our poll, Donald Trump now leads Joe Biden by five points.”
“Compare that to the last time we polled back in November. Trump was ahead then, but it was only by two points.”
“It’s even more significant when you look at it this way over time,” he continued.
“We have been testing for five years now, going back to 2019, a Biden Trump matchup. Remember 2019, 2020, Joe Biden led,” he added.
“He led big in every single one of our polls. For the first time in November, Donald Trump polled ahead in our poll, and now at five points.”
“This is the biggest lead NBC has ever had in 16 polls for Donald Trump over Joe Biden,” he went on.
“And of course undergirding. All of this is this question of he’s the incumbent, Joe Biden,” he said.
“We ask voters, what do you think of the job he’s doing? And look at that, Kristen, 37% approve and now 60% disapprove.”
“Biden trails GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump on major policy and personal comparisons, including by more than 20 points on which candidate would better handle the economy,” NBC reported.
And Biden’s deficit versus Trump on handling immigration and the border is greater than 30 points.”
“The poll also shows Trump holding a 16-point advantage over Biden on being competent and effective, a reversal from 2020, when Biden was ahead of Trump on this quality by 9 points before defeating him in that election,” he added.
“And Biden’s approval rating has declined to the lowest level of his presidency in NBC News polling — to 37% — while fewer than 3 in 10 voters approve of his handling of the Israel-Hamas war,” the story continued.
“All together, these numbers explain why the poll shows Trump leading Biden by 5 points among registered voters in a hypothetical 2024 general-election matchup, 47% to 42%,” the report noted.
“While the result is within the poll’s margin of error, the last year of polling shows a clear shift.”
NBC News also noted that Biden gained little political capital in the light of civil and criminal prosecutions of Trump.
“Perhaps the best news in the poll for Biden is that he pulls ahead of Trump when voters are asked about their ballot choice if the former president is convicted of a felony,” the story notes.
“Yet the margin then is just 2 points in Biden’s favor, also within the margin of error.”
According to Democratic pollster Jeff Horwitt of Hart Research Associates, the survey reveals a “presidency in peril.”
“What is most concerning is the erosion of Biden’s standing against Trump compared to four years ago,” Horwitt said.
“On every measure compared to 2020, Biden has declined. Most damning, the belief that Biden is more likely to be up to the job — the chief tenet of the Biden candidacy — has evaporated.”
McInturff, the GOP pollster, adds:
“It is hard to imagine a more difficult set of numbers before a re-election.”
The NBC News poll also notes that Biden’s overall approval rating had dropped to “the lowest point of his presidency,” with 60% disapproving and just 37% approving.
Here is a quick overview from interactive polls:
NBC News Poll: Trust to do a Better job…
— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) February 4, 2024
Border Security
Trump 57% (+35)
Biden 22%
.
The Economy
Trump 55% (+22)
Biden 33%
.
Dealing with crime and violence
Trump 50% (+21)
Biden 29%
.
Being competent and effective
Trump 48% (+16)
Biden 32%
.
Improving America's standing in… https://t.co/ZHgulq5t7g pic.twitter.com/1BA25lo9A4
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