The 2024 presidential race is shaping up to be one for the ages.
As President Joe Biden and his handlers, amid multiple scandals, determine whether or not to run for a second term, former President Donald Trump is making power moves. And those moves seem to be paying handsome early dividends in the polls.
In a Washington Post-ABC News poll conducted between Jan. 27-Feb. 1, respondents were asked who they would support if the election were held today. Trump garnered 48 percent to Biden’s 45 percent.
While it’s certainly close on paper, reading between the lines is critical. Trump’s 48 percent marks an impressive five-point swing since the same poll was conducted in September, meaning that it looks as though his classified documents situation doesn’t appear to have hurt him politically.
Trump also scored big with independents compared to Biden, grabbing 50 percent support to Biden’s 41 percent.
?? 2024 Presidential Election Poll
(R) Trump: 48% (+3)
(D) Biden: 45%Independents
(R) Trump: 50% (+9)
(D) Biden: 41%5 point swing towards Trump from Sept. poll by the same pollster (46/48 – Biden +2)
ABC/WP | 895 RV | Jan 27-Feb 1https://t.co/uMDynJpMw0 pic.twitter.com/2lRmQf8Heq
— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) February 5, 2023
The same poll asked several questions regarding how Americans feel they’re doing in Biden’s economy. The data is nothing short of a total disaster for the struggling Biden administration that continues to brag about jobs numbers while eggs, milk, and gas prices remain excruciatingly high.
“Do you approve or disapprove of the way Biden is handling the economy?” the WaPo-ABC News poll asked. A clear majority of 59 percent of registered voters said they disapprove. Sixty percent of independent voters said they disapproved, while 20 percent of Democratic voters said the same.
That’s a lot of dissatisfied voters that Biden absolutely needs in his corner if he wants a chance at winning in 2024.
Drilling down on the current economic conditions and how Americans are feeling, the poll asked, “Would you say you, yourself, are better off financially than you were when Biden became president, not as well off, or in about the same shape financially?”
Forty-one percent of registered voters said they feel “not as well off” under Biden. Again, that translates into tens of millions of voters feeling the pain of soaring inflation and troubled economic conditions that could continue to worsen.
It’s not a stretch to presume that in 2024 at the polling booth, many of those millions of voters will remember how much less they had in their savings accounts under Biden.
If that’s not enough to convince the Biden administration that another term in the White House might not be in the cards, a survey conducted by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research should be the proverbial nail in the coffin.
The survey revealed that only 37 percent of Democratic voters wish to see Biden seek another term. That number is particularly bad compared to the same question asked before the 2022 midterms, in which Biden scored 52 percent.
The kitchen table issues that many political analysts talk about drive elections one way or another. When voters are hurting financially — and many are under Biden — they tend to remember those feelings of despair and who was ultimately responsible and in charge when they prepare to cast their vote.
Should Biden be shaking in his boots? Absolutely.
Trump has already made campaign stops in New Hampshire and South Carolina, ginning up much-needed early support. He’s also consistently reacting to Biden’s perpetual blunders and continues to excite his massive support base. The polls have clearly reflected that energy.
It’s not unreasonable to suggest that many who might not have cared for Trump in the past could change direction in 2024, as it’s undeniable that the economy was much healthier with Trump in charge.
A lot can happen in two years, but it doesn’t take a political science degree to take a step back and see who’s gaining momentum and who’s quickly falling behind.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
