Former President Donald Trump has maintained his lead over President Joe Biden in the latest CNN poll conducted by SSRS, while also emerging as the clear winner in the first presidential debate. The survey reveals a growing divide in how Americans view the presidencies of both men, with Trump's tenure increasingly seen as successful while Biden's current term faces widespread criticism.
According to the poll, Trump holds steady at 49% support among registered voters in a head-to-head matchup, compared to Biden's 43%. This gap widens when third-party candidates are included, with Trump at 42% and Biden at 33%.
Looking back, 55% of Americans now consider Trump's presidency a success, a complete reversal from January 2021 when the same percentage viewed it as a failure. In contrast, 61% label Biden's presidency thus far as unsuccessful, with only 39% seeing it as a success.
The economy emerges as a critical factor in this shift. A staggering 70% of Americans describe current economic conditions as poor, with 65% of registered voters citing the economy as extremely important to their vote – a significant increase from previous election cycles.
Biden's approval ratings remain underwater across various issues, with his handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza receiving particularly low marks at 28% approval. Even on traditionally strong Democratic issues like healthcare and student loan debt, Biden fails to reach 50% approval.
The recent presidential debate seems to have further solidified Trump's advantage. A CNN flash poll conducted immediately after the debate showed 67% of viewers believed Trump won, compared to just 33% for Biden. This marks a significant reversal from the final 2020 debate, where Biden was perceived as the winner.
Former CNN commentator Chris Cilizza described the debate as "a total and complete disaster for Biden," noting that the President "looked old" and struggled to articulate his points clearly.
While Biden's team has pushed back on the narrative of a poor debate performance, with Vice President Kamala Harris claiming "a slow start but a strong finish," the poll numbers and social media reactions suggest an uphill battle for the incumbent.
As the campaign progresses, both candidates face challenges in expanding their support base. The poll finds that 52% of voters say there's no chance they would support Biden, while 47% say the same about Trump. With 53% of voters expressing dissatisfaction with their choices, the race remains fluid and unpredictable.
In this high-stakes rematch, Trump's perceived economic success during his first term appears to be overshadowing concerns about his legal troubles, while Biden struggles to convince voters of his administration's achievements amid persistent inflation and economic anxiety.
