A core issue in this matchup between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump is the economy. Recent findings from a Rasmussen Reports survey show the Biden campaign under water over the effects of his economic strategies, colloquially dubbed "Bidenomics." According to the survey, 49 percent of respondents say that Bidenomics has “hurt” them personally, while only 28 percent say his policies have “helped” them. The demographic breakdown of the survey's participants includes 35 percent Democrats, 33 percent Republicans, and 32 percent independents, offering a cross-section of political affiliations. Notably, a plurality of respondents, 48 percent, judged Biden's economic policies as “worse” to those of his predecessor, Trump, with only 37 percent viewing them more favorably. This sentiment poses a significant challenge for the Biden campaign, which has positioned his economic record as a cornerstone of his bid for re-election. "I inherited an economy that was on the brink," Biden said during this year’s State of the Union address. "Now our economy is the envy of the world." While Biden has made numerous public statements highlighting what he considers to be the economic successes under his administration, his critics have compiled economic data showing a contrasting narrative. Highlighting what they call the president’s “rhetoric vs. reality,” Americans for Prosperity counter major economic talking points used by the Biden campaign, explaining on their website bidenomics.com:In the unfolding saga of the 2024 U.S. presidential race, with candidates for both Democrats and Republicans already established, the nation finds itself in the midst of the longest general election campaign on record, with a full seven months and 15 days before voters head to the polls.
Moreover, the Rasmussen survey revealed a strong sense of dissatisfaction among black voters, a key demographic for the Biden campaign. Forty-one percent of black respondents indicated that Bidenomics had “hurt” them personally, with 36 percent favoring Trump's economic policies over Biden's. An anonymous former Biden campaign staffer told Time Magazine that Biden is in a precarious position, given that this election “boils down to voters of color, and those voters are pissed. I think it’s very likely he’ll lose.”
