(AURN News) – A new CNN poll released Tuesday suggests that the fallout from President Joe Biden’s debate performance continues. The poll even shows former President Donald Trump holding a slight lead in a hypothetical match-up against other Democrats. The CNN poll shows Trump ahead of Biden by six percentage points, with 49% of respondents favoring Trump compared to 43% for Biden.
Perhaps more concerning for the Biden campaign, 63% of those who said they would vote for Biden indicated their choice was primarily a vote against Trump rather than an endorsement of Biden. But Mr. Biden still maintains the highest favorability rating among names being floated as replacement Democratic candidates. The poll found Biden with a 51% favorable opinion, significantly outpacing Vice President Kamala Harris (29%), Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg (25%), California Governor Gavin Newsom (21%), and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (13%).
However, the survey suggests that replacing President Biden might not improve Democrats’ chances in November. In hypothetical match-ups, Trump led each alternative Democratic candidate:
- Trump vs. Harris: 47% to 45%
- Trump vs. Newsom: 48% to 43%
- Trump vs. Buttigieg: 47% to 43%
- Trump vs. Whitmer: 47% to 42%
These results come amid numerous reports of behind-the-scenes discussions among some Democrats, including major donors, about the possibility of replacing Biden on the ticket.
Click play to listen to the AURN News report from Jamie Jackson: