In a hypothetical head-to-head matchup, 49 percent of respondents to the latest Quinnipiac University poll of registered voters say they support Biden, while just 46 percent support Trump. The last two times this survey was taken (Oct. 4, 2023 and June 28, 2023), Trump led Biden 47-45 and 47-46, respectively. The survey shows that in a hypothetical five-person race with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Cornel West, and Jill Stein on the ticket, Biden would still defeat Trump by a margin of 41-39. As the 2024 election cycle heats up, the poll could be a sign that Biden’s shift in messaging and more pointed attacks on Trump and “MAGA Republicans” could be impacting voters. A key feature of Biden’s messaging this year will be keep the events of Jan. 6, 2021 top-of-mind, in order to cast Republicans as threats to U.S. democracy. His first 2024 campaign ad, released last week, drove this message home. The campaign combined images of white supremacists marching with images of the riot on Jan. 6 in an apparent attempt to draw parallels, while a Biden voiceover warned: “There’s something dangerous happening in America. There’s an extremist movement that does not share the basic beliefs in our democracy.” When given a list of 11 issues and asked to rank which is the most urgent facing the U.S. today, a majority of respondents to the Quinnipiac poll said preserving democracy. The second-ranked issue was border security, with the third being the economy. There were wide gaps among political parties, the results showed. Among Democrats, 44 percent say preserving democracy is the top issue the country faces, with no other issue reaching double digits. Among Republicans, 46 percent rank border security as the nation’s top issue, followed by the economy (25 percent). For independent voters, preserving democracy is tied with border security as a top issue, with the economy ranking third.A new poll in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania shows President Joe Biden re-taking the lead over former President Donald Trump in the 2024 election contest.
