Former President Donald Trump is leading current White House tenant Joe Biden in a hypothetical showdown in the 2024 United States election, according to results of a new poll released by the Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll.
The results show that if the Republican went to the polls now, he would get 47% support, compared to the 41% the Democrat would get. Vice President Kamala Harris fared even worse in a theoretical clash with Trump, receiving just 38% to 49% for the former president.
The early poll points to difficulties for Democrats as they try to hold the presidency in 2024 after regaining it less than two years ago. Meanwhile, Trump continues to hint at another candidacy and maintains his popularity within the conservative base of the Republican Party.
According to Prensa Latina, Mark Penn, co-director of the poll, said Trump’s initial odds over Harris and Biden speak less to the former president’s popularity and more to the challenges Biden and his administration face with voters. For the majority of respondents, both the US economy and the country as a whole are on the wrong track. Trump remains the favorite as 59% of Republican voters say they would back him if he ran for the White House again.
Former Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are statistically second with 11% and 10% support, respectively.