United States: In the latest national poll, there’s a suggestion that President Biden faces a challenge in gaining support from a crucial demographic within the Democratic Party’s base — the younger electorate.
According to the NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist National Poll released recently, the president holds a 50 percent approval rating, while his GOP contender, former President Trump, stands at 48 percent among registered voters, according to Fox News.
When considering those likely to vote in the upcoming presidential election, the margin tightens, with Biden at 50 percent and Trump at 49 percent.
In a scenario involving multiple candidates, the poll indicates Trump leading Biden by 44 percent to 40 percent, with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., running as an independent at 8 percent, Green Party candidate Jill Stein at 3 percent, and independent Cornel West at 2 percent.
One contributing factor to Biden’s close competition with Trump is waning support among younger voters, a group he secured by a significant margin four years ago, as reported by the Fox News Voter Analysis and other exit polls.
Fast-forward to the present, and the survey reveals Biden holding a mere four-point lead over Trump among voters under 45 and a six-point lead among those aged 18-29, as highlighted by Fox News.
Marist College Institute for Public Opinion director Lee Miringoff remarked to Fox News that younger voters don’t perceive a strong connection with Biden. They express concerns about the rising cost of living and housing expenses, which they perceive as hindrances to transitioning into adulthood. This economic anxiety seems to be negatively affecting their perception of Biden’s performance.
This recent poll adds to the growing evidence of increased support for Trump among the nation’s youth.
In a Harvard Youth Poll conducted last month by the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics, Biden held an eight-point lead over Trump among 18 to 29-year-olds, a significant decrease from his 23-point lead at the same juncture in the previous election cycle.
Biden’s lead over Trump extends to 50 percent-37 percent among registered voters under 30 and 56 percent-37 percent among those likely to vote in the November election, as per Fox News.
However, even with a 19-point margin among likely young voters, Biden’s lead is substantially narrower than his 30-point advantage over Trump four years ago.
The Harvard University poll indicates significant gains for Trump among young male voters.
The release of the Marist survey for NPR and PBS NewsHour reveals that less than 25 percent of younger voters approve of Biden’s presidential performance. Conversely, Trump enjoys a favorable rating of 49 percent-42 percent among this demographic.