A new poll featuring responses from within the past few days shows improving numbers for Donald Trump in several areas, including favorability rating and the likelihood of beating President Biden in a 2024 rematch.
The Harvard Caps Harris survey conducted between January 18th and 19th shows that in a hypothetical matchup between Trump and Biden, the former President comes out on top 46% to 41%.
Just last week a Morning Consult poll showed the President defeating Trump by three percentage points. That poll did, however, also indicate Trump’s favorability rating is actually improving, a trend that continues with the Harvard numbers.
According to the new numbers, Trump has a 45% favorability rating, and even though he remains slightly underwater (-3 points), it is significantly better than the ratings for Biden, who is 14 points under.
Trump, in fact, is now viewed more favorably than Biden, Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (-16) and Nancy Pelosi (-18), and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (-25).
Which makes it all the more perplexing as to why Trump receives overwhelmingly more negative media coverage than any of those individuals who are more roundly looked down upon by the American people.
Trump Tops Biden in 2024 Poll
The new Harvard poll shows devastating numbers for President Biden across the board though, as an aside, that didn’t seem to equate to votes at the polls for Republicans during the midterms when his numbers were equally as dismal.
Still, they remain worthy of noting.
Over six-in-ten voters say the country is headed down the wrong track.
Despite White House officials telling the American people how great the economy is, 66% say it too is on the wrong track, an increase from the last survey. Trump, by contrast, had numbers saying it was on the right track consistently in the 60-70% range prior to the pandemic.
A vast majority (54%) of Americans view their personal financial situation as getting worse.
And, Biden’s approval rating sits well below 50% in nearly every major category, including the economy, fighting terrorism, immigration, crime, and inflation.
Perhaps even worse, only 41% think the President is mentally fit to serve in the White House, while 59% say they “have doubts about his fitness.”
Trump or DeSantis
So, we get it. Biden is a failure. Across the board he has let the American people down, including the wide-eyed optimists who voted for him. But who is positioned best to take him down in 2024?
This new poll shows another trend that has remained steady. The fact that Trump is the overwhelming favorite amongst Republican voters.
The Morning Consult poll showed Trump far outpacing his closest probable competitor, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, by 17 points.
The Harvard survey shows Trump ahead of DeSantis by 20 points, former Vice President Mike Pence by 41 points, and former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley by 45 points.
Haley, as The Political Insider reported last week, has made it clear she is likely to challenge Trump for the Republican nomination.
“I’ve never lost a race,” Haley said on a potential run. “I said that then, I still say that now. I’m not going to lose now.”
These numbers seem to indicate Haley has very little chance of beating Trump or DeSantis.
Trump polling better in a hypothetical matchup with Biden is slightly different than what the Morning Consult poll shows. In the latter, Trump would not beat Biden, while DeSantis would.
The Political Insider reported in November that DeSantis had been telling donors he is “reconsidering” plans to launch a presidential campaign in 2024.
Thus far, Trump is the only candidate to officially announce a campaign.
He’s also posted several campaign videos, one demanding Congress investigate the FBI’s role in using Twitter to control information and sway elections, another announcing a free speech policy platform that seeks to ‘dismantle and destroy’ left-wing censorship.
This poll seems to indicate reports of his demise were greatly exaggerated.
