If Biden drops out Democrats would like to see him replaced by Kamala Harris or Michelle Obama

What happens if 81-year-old Joe Biden or 77-year-old four-time indicted Donald Trump withdraw from the 2024 election race?

Democrats say they would like to see Biden's vice president, Kamala Harris, or former first lady Michelle Obama take up the mantle.

Republicans are choosing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as the candidate they would like to see nominated.

These are the results of a Daily Mail/JL Partners poll, which found that there is no white knight candidate waiting in the wings to excite either party by pitting two aging candidates with low favorability ratings and a high meh factor to replace.

Things get a little more interesting when the question is asked to independent voters. They would prefer former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley to take the Republican nomination, and Obama (who has made it clear she has no interest in running) is leaps and bounds ahead of Harris as the choice of 16 percent.

JL Partners asked a thousand likely voters who they would like to see take the Republican nomination if Trump were to step down. Republicans said Ron DeSantis, Independents went for Nikki Haley

President Joe Biden

Former President Donald Trump

The question is not entirely academic, with on one side an 81-year-old incumbent who is slowing down year after year and a 77-year-old challenger facing four criminal trials.

Other potential headline names, such as California Governor Gavin Newsom or Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, are further out in the Democratic field.

On the other hand, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson controls just four percent.

It leaves both parties favoring more established figures rather than a bold new name to shake things up and lead the party for a new generation.

The question is not entirely academic. Already the oldest president in history, Biden is showing clear signs of slowing down; Meanwhile, Trump is facing legal efforts to disqualify him from the ballot and would become the second-oldest on Inauguration Day if he were to win a second term.

When voters were asked for a single word to describe each candidate's plans for a second term, the results were uninspiring.

For Trump, the word was 'revenge'; for Biden the word was “nothing.”

Julian Gallie, research associate at JL Partners, said: “Questions are being raised about Joe Biden's re-election bid, but this poll shows a lack of an obvious successor among the Democratic base. One in five chooses the very unpopular Kamala Harris, with Michelle Obama as the next favorite.

“The fact that Democratic voters are returning to past numbers, with one in three choosing Hilary Clinton or Michelle Obama, suggests that the direction of travel remains unclear until a natural successor emerges.”

JL Partners surveyed 1,000 likely voters for their opinions. The results come with a margin of error of 3.1 percent.

Democrats would stick with Kamala Harris, while independents like Michelle Obama would withdraw if Joe Biden drops out of the 2024 race

Democrats would stick with Kamala Harris, while independents like Michelle Obama would withdraw if Joe Biden drops out of the 2024 race

Vice President Kamala Harris

Former first lady Michelle Obama

Harris and Obama are doing better than Hillary Clinton and Pete Buttigieg

“The Republican base continues to disagree with Independents on the future of the Republican Party,” Gallie said. When asked who would be the best replacement for Donald Trump, Republicans are backing Ron DeSantis, who has nearly double the support of Vivek Ramaswamy in second place, while Nikki Haley languishes in fourth.

“Independents support Haley, but despite her ability to win over this part of the electorate, her standing among Republican voters highlights her struggle to win over the post-Trump Republican base, even in a head-to-head showdown with Biden. '

The race on the Republican side will begin to harden in January, when voters in Iowa and New Hampshire will be the first to choose their preferred candidate.

For now, Trump remains the clear frontrunner, although Haley has gained momentum over the past two months.

JL Partners surveyed 984 likely voters across the country.  The results show that Donald Trump has a four-point lead over Joe Biden.  The results have a margin of error of 3.1 points

JL Partners surveyed 984 likely voters across the country. The results show that Donald Trump has a four-point lead over Joe Biden. The results have a margin of error of 3.1 points

The poll gave Trump a clear lead in a hypothetical contest against Biden in 2024.

Trump could face legal jeopardy if he pursues a series of lawsuits, but he is now four points ahead of Biden.

The results show that the former president has won over independent voters, while Biden has seen his support within his own party and among women decline.

When asked who they would vote for if the election were to take place tomorrow, 40 percent of respondents chose Trump and 36 percent for Biden.

Independents Robert Kennedy Jr. and Cornell West won 4 percent and one percent, respectively, while Green candidate Jill Stein's share was rounded down to zero.