Donald Trump could beat Joe Biden in next year's presidential race, a new poll suggests.
President Biden's approval rating has fallen, leaving him four points behind former President Trump, according to him a Wall Street Journal survey of 1,500 registered voters.
In a hypothetical vote between just the two candidates, Trump would receive 47 percent of the vote, compared to Biden's 43 percent.
Trump's lead rises to 6 points, 37 percent to 31 percent, when five potential third-party and independent candidates are included.
The survey found widespread dissatisfaction with the president's policies, including his economic agenda and concerns about his age.
In a hypothetical vote between just the two candidates, Trump would receive 47 percent of the vote, compared to Biden's 43 percent
President Biden's approval rating has fallen, leaving him four points behind Trump
61 percent of respondents saw Biden's overall image in an unfavorable light, an all-time high.
Likewise, about 37 percent approved of Biden's job performance.
More than half of voters saw “Bidenomics,” the president's signature economic platform, as unfavorable.
Two-thirds of voters rated the economy as bad or not good, and two-thirds say the economy has worsened over the past two years of Biden's term in office.
The economic anxiety is being felt especially acutely among younger voters, a key pillar of the Democratic coalition.
For example, less than a third of voters under 35 say the economy is in good shape, compared to 40 percent of voters 65 and older.
This is despite indicators such as rising GDP growth, moderating inflation and low unemployment that point to a strong economy.
Only 23 percent of voters say Biden's policies have helped them personally, while 53 percent say they have been hurt by the president's agenda.
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden in Nantucket during the Thanksgiving holiday shortly after Biden's 81st birthday
The widespread pessimism seems to hang over voters' heads: 48 percent say they do not believe this generation will do better than the previous one.
It's not all bad news for Biden, though: Respondents say they trust him more than Trump on abortion, an issue that has proven to boost support for Democratic candidates.
The survey also found that those undecided on the presidential race lean Democratic in other survey questions, suggesting they could be swayed to support Biden in nearly a year.
It comes after a New York Times poll from late October to early November showed Trump beating Biden in five of the six battleground states crucial to winning the 2024 election.
Biden turned 81 in November, amid doubts from experts and pollsters about whether he is still fit to lead.
The president has faced repeated questions about his fitness for office within a year until the 2024 elections.
When asked in November to respond to concerns about his age, the White House deflected and tried to list his achievements.
“Because of President Biden's decades of public service experience and deep relationships with leaders in Congress, he has passed legislation that has helped create more than 14 million jobs, lower the cost of prescription drugs, invest in the US infrastructure and technology and has led to the strongest economic crisis. recovery in the developed world,” White House communications director Ben LaBolt said.
President Joe Biden celebrated his 81st birthday by joining the emerging social media platform Threads and posting a photo of himself smiling next to a giant cake
President Joe Biden, the oldest commander in chief in U.S. history, turns 81 on Monday and his administration appears intent on keeping him in a “bubble wrap” strategy to prevent him from another public fall.
President Joe Biden is helped to his feet after a fall during the graduation ceremony at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado in June. He fell while handing out diplomas to cadets
But some of his staff still believe he needs protection, and a new strategy is being developed to prevent him from falling or getting lost on stage, as he has done several times before.
Some described it as putting the president in bubble wrap until November 2024 to ensure he doesn't trip or fall again in public, as he did at the commencement of the Air Force Academy in June.
But other current and former administration officials strongly disagree, calling on him to hit the campaign trail to “show his strength” and “boast about his age instead of ignoring it.”
Veteran Democrat strategist Simon Rosenberg is in the latter camp, saying Biden needs to respect his age and push harder.
“He's successful because of his age, not despite it,” Rosenberg said.
“We're all going to have to advocate for this because it's true. We cannot run away from the age problem.
“It will be an important part of the conversation, but we would be making a political mistake if we don't challenge it more aggressively.”
But John B. Judis, a longtime political strategist and author, suggested that Biden's age makes him look less presidential.
“He doesn't look or speak the part,” Judis said. “He is not an impressive or charming presence on the stage of a presidential or presidential election.”
Judis praised many of Biden's legislative achievements, including infrastructure and the fight against climate change, but said his “public performance” was poor.