According to a recent survey conducted by the Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll, if the 2024 presidential election were held today, President Biden would lose to either of the top Republican rivals, former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. The online survey of 2,050 registered voters found that 46% would support Trump in a rematch of the 2020 election, with 41% favoring Biden and 13% unsure. The poll results indicate that Trump’s popularity has not waned since the last presidential election and he still holds a significant lead over the current president.
Furthermore, the survey found that Biden would lose to DeSantis by a narrower 3-point margin, with 42% supporting DeSantis and 39% supporting Biden, and 18% undecided. DeSantis, who has not yet announced a bid for the White House, has gained popularity in recent months and has solidified his position as a top contender for the Republican nomination. The poll results suggest that he has the potential to give Biden a tough competition in the event of a face-off between the two.
The survey also revealed that nearly two-thirds of those polled, 65%, said Biden should not run for re-election at all. This indicates a lack of confidence in the president’s ability to lead the country for another term and highlights the growing discontent among the electorate.
Additionally, the poll found that Trump remains the clear favorite among Republicans for the 2024 Republican primary race, with 48% supporting him. DeSantis comes in second place with 28%, gaining 3 percentage points since the poll’s December edition. All other potential Republican candidates, including onetime Trump Administration figures like Mike Pence, Nikki Haley, and Mike Pompeo, saw support in the single digits.
It’s worth noting that the survey, a weighted online sample drawn from a panel assembled by Harris and Harvard’s Center for American Political Studies, does not report a margin of error. This means that the results should be interpreted with caution and should not be considered as conclusive evidence of the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. However, it does provide a snapshot of the current political climate and the level of support for different candidates.
The poll results suggest that the upcoming presidential election will be a closely contested battle between the incumbent president and his Republican rivals, with Trump and DeSantis emerging as the top contenders for the Republican nomination. The results also indicate that there is a significant level of dissatisfaction among the electorate with the current administration and a lack of confidence in President Biden’s ability to lead the country for another term.