Polling reaffirms soft support for President Joe Biden as he seeks re-election in 2024. Americans are dissatisfied with the possibility of either Biden or Trump as president.
“Yeah, it’s worse for Biden but for both of them, most of the American people think electing them would be a disaster or a setback for both Joe Biden and Donald Trump, the current Democratic and Republican frontrunner,” CNN host Jake Tapper said when discussing a new CNN poll showing that Americans do not like their presidential choices.
A new CNN poll shows that 66% of Americans view a second Biden term as a “disaster” or a setback for the U.S. Forty-one percent said they believe that a Biden specifically was a “disaster,” compared with 44% who said that former President Donald Trump winning another term would be a “disaster.”
“This is not an election the American people want,” CNN Political Director David Chalian said.
Twenty-six percent viewed a Biden win as a “setback” compared with 12% for Trump. The former president enjoyed a 10-point advantage over Biden among those who specifically thought a Trump win would be a “triumph.”
Biden had a 35% approval overall and enjoys 79% approval among Democrats. He took a hit among Independents with only 26% approving. That was down nine points since December. Trump’s approval rating was slightly higher at 37%.
Other recent polling has shown Trump leading Biden in the personal favorability category. The most recent Rasmussen Reports poll gave Trump a 46% to 44% advantage in terms of personal popularity. Forty-five percent of those polled by Rasmussen strongly disapproved of Biden while only 23% strongly approved of Biden.
Biden Voters Largely Locked in for Primary
Biden already has 58% of Democrats locked in for him; however, 42% say they could change their minds. Democrats backing Williamson and Kennedy are less sure when it comes to their candidate loyalty. Nineteen percent say they are absolutely committed to their Biden alternative. Of those who say they support Kennedy or Williamson, 81% say they could change their minds.
Biden faces an uphill battle with working-class white voters. Sixteen percent of those voters say they will not support Biden next year. That compares with 1% of college-educated white Democrats.
Biden Faces Danger Signs from RFK Jr.
Democrats dissatisfied with Biden are voicing their dissatisfaction by expressing support for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The son of assassinated Sen. Robert F. Kennedy has stronger appeal among Independent voters than Biden. A full 32% of Independents said they supported Kennedy, just eight points shy of 40% for Biden. Only 15% of Democratic Party loyalists back Kennedy.
This marks the second time that a Kennedy has launched a spirited challenge to an unpopular Democrat incumbent. Sen. Edward Kennedy and former President Jimmy Carter tied at 40% in a December 1979 poll.
No incumbent president who faced a primary challenger has won re-election since World War II.
The CNN poll put Kennedy at 20%
A month ago, Kennedy stood at 19% in a Fox News poll. The Real Clear Politics Average currently puts Kennedy at 16.8%. New age guru Marianne Williamson stands at 6.8%.
Kennedy Chomping at Biden’s Heels
A majority of all Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters say they would back either Kennedy or Williamson. That includes 64% who say they could consider voting for Kennedy and 56% who said the same about Williamson.
Kennedy’s name and familial connections are a plus for those old enough to remember his father and uncle, President John F. Kennedy. Twenty percent of those who say they could vote for Kennedy say they would do so because of his name.
“I liked his dad (RFK) and his uncle (JFK) a lot. I would hope he has a similar mindset,” one voter contacted by the CNN poll said.
If anything is clear, voters are dissatisfied with the president. Polling showing that Trump remains competitive with Biden despite his legal hurdles should concern the president. It shows the 2024 race is anyone’s guess at this point.
John Rossomando was a senior analyst for Defense Policy and served as Senior Analyst for Counterterrorism at The Investigative Project on Terrorism for eight years. His work has been featured in numerous publications such as The American Thinker, The National Interest, National Review Online, Daily Wire, Red Alert Politics, CNSNews.com, The Daily Caller, Human Events, Newsmax, The American Spectator, TownHall.com, and Crisis Magazine. He also served as senior managing editor of The Bulletin, a 100,000-circulation daily newspaper in Philadelphia, and received the Pennsylvania Associated Press Managing Editors first-place award for his reporting.
