Trump leads Biden, voters call his presidency a success, reveal poll

Republican candidate Donald Trump is ahead of US President Joe Biden in popularity, a CNN poll has revealed. The survey says a majority of all Americans view Trump’s presidency as a success, while they view Biden’s term as a failure.

Despite facing criminal trials, 77-year-old Donald Trump leads 81-year-old Joe Biden in the CNN poll conducted by Social Science Research Solutions (SSRS).

Donald Trump is also leading in six of the seven key swing states for the US presidential election, which is set to be held in November 2024.

According to the CNN poll, Trump’s support among registered voters remains the same at 49% in a head-to-head matchup against Biden, just like it was in the last poll in January. Biden’s support is at 43%, which isn’t much different from January’s 45%.

Additionally, 55% of all Americans view Trump’s presidency as a success, compared to 44% who see it as a failure.

In a poll from January 2021, just before Trump left office and shortly after the January 6 attack on the US Capitol, 55% considered his time as president a failure.

In contrast, 61% believe Biden’s presidency so far has been a failure, with only 39% considering it a success.

Partisan differences are evident, with 92% of Republicans viewing Trump’s presidency as a success, while only 73% of Democrats see Biden’s as successful.

Among independents, 51% say Trump’s presidency was successful, while only 37% see Biden’s as a success.

Negative perceptions of Biden’s performance persist, with 60% disapproving of his time in the top office.

Approval ratings for Biden’s handling of health care policy stand at 45%, while approval for his handling of student loan debt is at 44%.

However, his handling of the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza received the lowest approval rating, with only 28% approval and 71% disapproval, including 81% disapproval among those younger than 35 and majority disapproval among Democrats (53%).

ECONOMIC CONCERNS AMONG VOTERS

Economic concerns weigh heavily on voters’ minds, with 65% considering the economy extremely important in their choice of president.

Trump gains significant support among these voters, with 62% favouring him over Biden.

A majority of Americans (70%) perceive economic conditions in the US as poor, with many, particularly Republicans, believing that a change in political leadership would have a greater impact on their views than current economic indicators.

In considering the priorities of voters for the upcoming presidential election, it’s evident that protecting democracy stands out as a significant concern, with 58% of voters deeming it extremely important.

IMPORTANT ISSUES FOR VOTERS

Following closely behind are issues like immigration, crime, and gun policy, each deeply important to nearly half of voters at 48%.

Healthcare is another key issue, with 43% of voters seeing it as crucial, while abortion and nominations to the US Supreme Court are important to about 4 in 10 voters at 42% and 39%, respectively.

However, some issues are considered less pressing, such as foreign policy at 33%, climate change at 27%, and the conflict between Israel and Hamas at 26%. Student loans rank even lower, with only 24% of voters considering them important.

Additionally, there are notable differences in priorities between Democratic and Republican voters. Democrats prioritise protecting democracy (67%), abortion (54%), the economy (52%), gun policy (51%), and healthcare (49%), while Republicans place greater emphasis on the economy (79%), immigration (71%), crime (65%), and democracy (54%).

In a hypothetical matchup including independent candidates Robert F Kennedy Jr and Cornel West and a Green Party candidate Jill Stein included in the matchup, Trump leads with 42% compared to Biden’s 33%. Kennedy at 16%, West at 4%, and Stein at just 3%.

Among voters younger than 35, Biden trails Trump by a margin of 51% to 40%.

The CNN poll, conducted from April 18-23, surveyed a random national sample of 1,212 adults, including 967 registered voters.