A series of recent polls indicates voters believe they were better off financially and in general under former President Donald Trump’s administration than President Joe Biden’s.
Trump and Biden are likely heading toward a rematch in November, which the former president is currently leading in polls for nationally and in crucial battleground states. Voters appear to be looking back fondly on Trump’s policies as they sour on the Biden administration, according to multiple recent surveys.
“Across the board, people are saying that the country was in better shape under the former President than it is now under the current President. And for that matter, the world was in better shape,” Jon McHenry, a GOP polling analyst, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Voters were not enthused about President Trump personally but I think as they look at unforced errors like the withdrawal in Afghanistan, inflationary spending, and a border policy that effectively invites people to abuse the asylum laws, they don’t see a contest between the two presidencies.
A New York Times/Siena College poll released Sunday found that only 18% of registered voters said Biden’s policies “helped [them] personally,” compared to 40% who said the same of Trump’s. The former president received more support than Biden on the question among key general election voting demographics — women, black voters, Hispanics, independents and 18-to-29-year-olds.
The same survey found the former president leading by five points among registered voters, with roughly 10% of Biden 2020 voters now supporting Trump.
A CBS News/YouGov survey also published on Sunday indicated 46% of registered voters believe Trump’s presidency was “good” and “excellent,” while only 33% said the same of Biden’s. The former president also led Biden in the poll for a potential rematch by four points.
Almost 50% said their “financial situation” over the last several years has gotten “worse” compared to 23% who said it has improved, according to the poll. Only 39% said the national economy is “good” today versus 65% who said it was “good” under the Trump administration.
“America is reliving the Jimmy Carter administration. Inflation is through the roof, American hostages are being held in the Mideast, we’re not respected around the world and voters want their president out of office,” Mark Weaver, veteran Republican strategist, told the DCNF. “When Ronald Reagan on the debate stage asked his countrymen if they were better off now than they were four years ago, the loud answer was ‘no!’ 44 years later, that same question will be answered the same way.”
Another poll released on Sunday and conducted by Fox News found 48% of voters said Biden’s policies have hurt them, while only 32% said Trump’s did. A Wall Street Journal poll published the same day indicated nearly half of voters approve of Trump’s presidency in retrospect, but only 38% approve of Biden’s now.
Voters across seven key battleground states — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — said the economy was better at a national, state and local level under the Trump administration than Biden’s by double digit margins, according to a Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll released Thursday.
The same survey found 51% of the swing-state voters said their “personal financial situation” was better off under Trump compared to 30% who said the same was true of Biden. Trump led Biden anywhere from two to nine points for head-to-head matchups in each of the seven battleground states, according to the poll.
Trump’s campaign touted his lead in numerous polls, as well as inroads the former president has made with various voting blocs that typically go for Democrats by large margins.
“There are more than 100 polls showing President Trump crushing Joe Biden, including recent polling that has him leading in every key battleground state and winning independents by double digits,” Karoline Leavitt, national press secretary for the Trump campaign, told the DCNF in a statement. “Joe Biden no longer has a base as key Democrat constituencies such as African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and women are supporting President Trump because they are sick and tired of Crooked Joe’s record-high inflation, open borders, crime and chaos.”
Trump continues to rack up primary wins against former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, and could win all of the 15 states holding nominating contests on Super Tuesday. Haley has only won once against Trump — in the Washington, D.C., primary on Sunday.
The former president is polling two points ahead of Biden nationally in the RealClearPolitics average, and is leading in swing states like Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Wisconsin and Michigan.
Biden’s campaign did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.
Mary Lou Masters on March 5, 2024
