President Joe Biden’s State of the Union this year is driving his influence upward, as the left coalesces around Biden for the 2024 Democrat bid. A new poll indicates his rising approval while former president Donald Trump finds his ratings sinking.
The NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll quizzed over 1,300 Americans — 570 Democrats and 460 Republicans — after the president’s State of the Union address.
Biden approval rating: At the time, half of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents said that the party had a chance of winning the presidential election with Biden as the nominee, a shift from the majority, roughly 54%, believing another candidate would be better suited back in November, as the poll stated.
On the topic of his job performance, Americans are divided — 46% approve, marking the highest rating since early March 2022. Meanwhile, his overall approval rating floated at 83%, per the poll.
Trump approval rating: A majority of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents (54%) said that the GOP will be able to win in 2024 if Trump, who has already announced his bid, isn’t the nominee. At the same time, 42% said that Trump would give the party the necessary edge. Overall, his ratings are down to 68%, compared to 79% last November.
“A majority of Republicans would prefer to turn the page on Trump, but a potentially crowded field could ultimately benefit the former president,” said Lee M. Miringoff, Director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion in the poll’s press release.
Other GOP candidates: After Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appears most appealing to voters as 66% of Republican voters found him favorable while 51% perceived former Vice President Mike Pence as favorable.
Biden vs. Trump, who handled classified documents appropriately?: Neither Biden nor Trump fare well in this poll but 37% of Americans agreed that Trump’s handling of the documents posed a national security risk. Around 26% said Biden posed a greater risk.
A recent Ipsos poll had similar findings: 34% of respondents said Biden handled the situation appropriately, and 22% supported Trump on the matter.