A new poll released Sunday found President Joe Biden trails Donald Trump in five key battleground states, raising new questions about Biden’s ability to hold onto the White House in 2024.
The poll, conducted by the New York Times and Sienna College, showed Trump leading Biden by anywhere from three to 10 percentage points in five of six battleground states surveyed — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania. Biden led in only one: Wisconsin. Across the six states, all of which Biden won in 2020, Trump led by an average of 48% to 44%, the poll found.
Among the poll’s findings were rising concerns about Biden’s age and rising support for Trump among Black voters. According to the poll, voters across all income levels also said they felt Biden’s policies have hurt them personally, while Trump’s helped them.
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In a series of tweets, David Axelrod — a former adviser to President Barack Obama — suggested Biden should consider dropping out of the race, and said the poll “will send tremors of doubt thru the party — not ‘bed-wetting,’ but legitimate concern.”
If Biden continues to run, “he needs to decide is whether that is wise; whether it’s in HIS best interest or the country’s?” Axelrod said.
Biden campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz dismissed the poll results Sunday, telling CNN: “Predictions more than a year out tend to look a little different a year later. … We’ll win in 2024 by putting our heads down and doing the work, not by fretting about a poll.”
