More than half of President Biden’s supporters said they are primarily backing him in the 2024 election to oppose former President Donald Trump. This finding comes from a new CBS News/YouGov poll released on Sunday.
The poll revealed that 54% of likely Biden voters are planning to vote for him in November, a 7 percentage point increase from March. The next most common reason for supporting Mr. Biden was personal preference, with 27% of respondents indicating they liked the president, though this figure has dropped 4 points since March.
In addition, 19% of likely voters said they are supporting Mr. Biden because he is the presumptive Democratic nominee.
CBS pollsters highlighted the significance of how voters frame their decision, whether as a referendum or a choice, in influencing their vote. Among those viewing the election as a referendum on Trump, 66% support Mr. Biden, while 34% back Mr. Trump.
Conversely, when the election is seen as a judgment on Mr. Biden, 66% vote for Mr. Trump, and 34% choose Mr. Biden.
For voters who consider the election a direct comparison between Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump, the poll found a slight edge for Mr. Trump, who garnered 53% the vote compared to Mr. Biden’s 47%.
In terms of national and battleground state standings, the poll indicated a close race. Nationally, Mr. Trump has 50% support among likely voters, while Mr. Biden has 49%. In battleground states, Mr. Biden holds a slight advantage with 50% support, compared to Mr. Trump’s 49%.
Both candidates have already secured the necessary delegates to be considered their parties’ presumptive nominees and will be officially nominated at their respective party conventions this summer.
The poll surveyed 2,063 U.S. adult residents between June 5 and 7 and included an oversample in key battleground states such as Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.2 percentage points among all adults and 3.8 points among registered voters.
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