Although President Joe Biden continues to be the clear Democratic frontrunner for his party’s 2024 nomination, he remains unpopular with the American public and looks poorly positioned to defeat any of the top Republican candidates, according to multiple recent polls.
Biden, who would be 82 at his potential second inauguration, is plagued by considerations about his age, as he is already the oldest president in U. S. history. In addition, polls consistently show that he receives poor marks from the electorate for his handling of the U. S. economy, as well as his reaction to the situation at the U. S. -Mexico border. The existing polling average from polling news and research site FiveThirtyEight, which was last updated on Saturday, shows that just over 55% of Americans view Biden unfavorably, while just under 40% view him favorably.
The president’s supporters defend him by pointing to Democrats’ success in the 2022 midterm elections as well as recent off year elections, when voters across the country appeared particularly animated by concerns about Republican opposition to abortion rights. They also say that when ultimately given a choice between Biden or former President Donald Trump, the frontrunner for the GOP nomination, voters will see the current president as the better option.
Newsweek reached out to Biden’s campaign via email for comment.
Here’s a closer look at what recent polls show.
Most recent polls show Trump ahead of Biden, or that he is necessarily tied.
A poll conducted by the Wall Street Journal from Nov. 29 to Dec. 4 shows Trump ahead of Biden by 4% in a head-to-head showdown. The former president is outnumbered by 47% of respondents, compared to 43. % Who Biden. La ballot of 1,500 registered voters has a margin of error of plus or minus 2. 5 percentage points.
Emerson College carried out a poll from December 4 to 6, which also showed Trump leading Biden by 4 percent. The percentages were the same as The Wall Street Journal survey, with 47 percent going for Trump and 43 percent supporting Biden. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 points, and 1,000 registered voters were surveyed.
The most productive recent vote for Biden v. Trump was conducted via YouGov/The Economist, and the incumbent Democrat appeared with a 1-point lead over his potential Republican opponent. Biden supported 42% and Trump 41% of respondents: a statistical tie. The poll of 1,291 registered voters was conducted Dec. 2-5 with a margin of error of plus or minus 3. 1 percentage points.
Biden appears to be a bit more at odds with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who, according to recent polls, usually comes in second or third to Trump in the race for the Republican nomination in 2024.
However, the ballots still appear to show a very close race between the incumbent Democrat and the Republican challenger. The Wall Street Journal’s recent vote gave DeSantis and Biden forty-five percent support.
Another survey carried out by Harris X/The Messenger had DeSantis leading Biden by 2 points. The Florida Republican was supported by 51 percent of respondents and Biden was backed by 49 percent. The poll was conducted from November 27 to December 1 and included 2,018 registered voters. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.2 percent.
A YouGov/The Economist vote from November 20 to 27 produced the most productive recent result for Biden against DeSantis, with the Democrat appearing to lead by 3 points. The poll, which looked at 1,000 respondents, showed Biden at 38%, up from 35%. % for the governor of Florida. The margin of error plus or minus 4. 1 consistent with the penny.
Some of the most recent polls suggest that former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley, who also previously served as South Carolina’s governor, might be in the strongest position to defeat Biden. Haley also appears to be pulling ahead of DeSantis in recent polls—positioning her as second place to Trump in the GOP field.
The Wall Street Journal’s recent vote shows Haley leading Biden by 17 points. The Republican supported with 51 percent of the vote, while the president supported with only 34 percent in a face-to-face meeting.
Similarly, the survey by Harris X/The Messenger had Haley ahead of the president by double digits. In that poll, the former South Carolina governor was backed by 55 percent compared to Biden’s 45 percent.
Emerson College’s recent vote showed that Haley and Biden were tied. Both received 39 endorsements.
Analysts and political pundits are quick to point out that it’s too early to say for sure how the 2024 election will play out. While Biden and Trump seem headed for a likely rematch, it’s possible that a lot will happen between now and the start of the first season.
Biden has been facing three major long-term rivals lately; Marianne Williamson, Cenk Uygur and Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota. It’s also important to watch how Trump’s legal challenges, of which he has maintained his innocence, will play out.
Right now, however, polls show Biden is battling his main Republican rivals and is in a weak position heading into 2024. The president, for his part, remains confident that he will defeat Trump if they win his party’s nominations.
“I’m the only one who can defeat him, but I will defeat him,” Biden told reporters Wednesday.
Jason Lemon is a weekend editor at Newsweek, founded in Brooklyn, New York. Prior to taking over as editor, Jason’s reporting focused on U. S. politics and foreign affairs. He joined Newsweek in 2018 and in the past worked as a founding editor at a Middle Eastern media startup called StepFeed. He also worked for a year as a contributor to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and has written for The Christian Science Monitor, The Palm Beach Post, Al Fanar Media, and A Magazine. American University of Beirut in Lebanon and Andrews University in Michigan. You can reach Jason by emailing j. lemon@newsweek. com. Languages: English, Spanish, French and Levantine Arabic.