In the latest Pew Research Center polling released Thursday, former President Donald Trump has emerged with a 4-percentage point lead over President Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential race. This development underscores a troubling trend for Biden, who faces increasing scrutiny over his candidacy following a lackluster debate performance.
According to the Pew survey conducted from July 1 to 7, a significant majority of voters—63%—view both Biden and Trump as embarrassing figures in politics. The poll also reveals a sharp decline in perceptions of Biden’s mental sharpness, with only 24% of voters now considering him as such, down from 53% in 2021. In contrast, 58% of respondents described Trump as mentally sharp.
The poll results coincide with reports from close allies of President Biden who, speaking anonymously to NBC, express doubts about his chances of winning reelection. One Biden campaign official went so far as to assert, “He needs to drop out. He will never recover from this.”
In terms of voter preference, the Pew poll indicates that if the election were held today, Trump would capture 44% of the vote among registered voters, while Biden would secure 40%. A third-party candidate, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., garners 15% of the hypothetical vote.
These findings illustrate a challenging landscape for Biden as he navigates a campaign trail marked by formidable opposition and internal calls for reassessment. The data suggests a significant erosion in confidence among voters, signaling a critical period ahead for the Biden campaign to regain momentum and voter trust.
