US election 2024: Biden pulls even with Trump, despite Democrat’s disastrous debate – poll
The poll, which gathered responses online and nationwide from 1,070 US adults, had a 3.5 percentage point margin of error for registered voters, many of whom remain on the fence with about four months left before the November 5 election. One in five registered voters said that they weren’t sure for whom to vote, that they would pick a different candidate, or that they would not vote at all.
The latest poll did not include a question on support for independent candidate Robert Kennedy, Jnr. The June poll found that 10 per cent of registered voters would back him if he appeared on the ballot.
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US presidential debate: Biden and Trump spar over economy, war in Ukraine
While nationwide surveys give important signals on American support for political candidates, just a handful of competitive states typically tilt the balance in the US Electoral College, which ultimately decides who wins a presidential election.
Both candidates carry significant liabilities. For Biden, these include concerns about his age – 81 – that were magnified by his debate performance.
The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 83 per cent of Democrats and 97 per cent of Republicans agreed with a statement that in the debate, “Biden stumbled and appeared to show his age.” Only 58 per cent of Democrats and 11 per cent of Republicans had the same assessment of Trump’s debate performance.
Trump, 78, in May became the first US president to be convicted of a crime, whether in office or after leaving the White House. He is scheduled to be sentenced in September and faces potential prison time after a jury found him guilty of 34 charges stemming from a hush money payment to an adult film actress before the 2016 presidential election.