Donald Trump was already leading President Joe Biden in several swing states but after the assassination attempt, a new poll shows the former president gaining even more ground – unless a younger Democrat replaces Biden.
A survey conducted by Emerson College Polling found that Trump holds a three-point lead or more over the president in seven key swing states – and most of those are an increase from polling conducted in March.
In Michigan, Nevada and Wisconsin Trump is leading by three points, in Georgia by five, in Pennsylvania by six, in North Carolina by nine and in Arizona by 10.
The numbers are a bad sign for Biden who is already facing doubts about his ability to campaign and win the November election. Members of his own party have asked him to step aside and make room for a different, younger, candidate.
And the poll from Emerson supports that idea. When asked who they would vote for in a matchup between Trump and a younger Democrat, 53.7 percent of swing state voters said they would choose the younger Democrat.
That is a significant difference from the current matchup between Biden and Trump where only 41.6 percent of voters said they would support Biden.
The former president’s campaign is growing stronger as uncertainty about Biden grows. The recent assassination attempt may have also contributed to public sympathy.
Since Biden’s disappointing performance during the first presidential debate, leaders within the Democratic Party have expressed doubts that the president can successfully run against Trump as voter support dwindles.
Biden’s age and health remain a major concern among potential voters, enough that they are reconsidering voting for the president in November.
So far, the president has refused to drop out of the race and insisted he is healthy and determined to defeat Trump again.
But the pressure is growing for the president to withdraw himself. New reports indicate that senior lawmakers like Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi have privately urged Biden to re-consider his bid for the White House.
Should Biden make that decision, several Democrats have been named as potential candidates including Vice President Kamala Harris.
Emerson College Polling found that 57 percent of voters do not believe Harris has “earned the right” to be the next nominee with 66 percent saying they would like to see leading Democrats debate one another before the party selects a nominee.
The poll by Emerson College Polling was sponsored by Democrats for the Next Generation, an organization that supports up-and-coming Democrats.