A new national survey by the New York Times and Siena College is the latest to indicate former President Trump edging President Biden in an increasingly likely 2024 general election rematch.
Additionally, the survey suggests that the president is losing support among younger Americans – a key constituency for Democrats – due to his handling of the Israel-Palestinian war in Gaza.
According to the poll, which was released on Tuesday, Trump edges Biden 46%-44% among registered voters nationwide.
However, in a very early look at next November’s presidential election, Biden holds a razor-thin 47%-45% margin over Trump among those likely to vote in the 2024 contest.
The 81-year-old Biden once held the upper hand over the 77-year-old Trump in 2024 rematch surveys, but Trump began enjoying an advantage over his successor in the White House in most polls starting in October.
The poll indicates that nearly three-quarters of voters ages 18-29 – a key part of the Democratic base that helped boost Biden to over then-President Trump in the 2020 election – disapprove of the way Biden is handling the conflict in Gaza.
Younger voters questioned in the survey say they would back Trump 49%-43% over the president. That is a dramatic switch from June, when a previous Siena College poll for the New York Times pointed to Biden holding a 10-point lead.
Among registered voters overall, by a 46%-38% margin, they said Trump would do a better job than Biden handling the Israel-Palestinian fighting.
The new survey also indicates Biden’s approval rating slipping to 37% support among registered voters.
The president stood at 34% approval in a Monmouth University poll released on Monday, an all-time low in Monmouth polling since Biden took over the White House nearly three years ago.
Biden stood at 37% approval – an all-time low – in a Wall Street Journal survey released earlier this month. However, a new Fox News national poll released on Sunday indicated Biden’s approval rating at 43%.
The approval rating is a key indicator of a president’s performance, clout and popularity and is a closely watched metric, especially when an incumbent in the White House seeks a second term.