Former President Donald Trump has taken the lead in a hypothetical White House rematch against President Joe Biden. The latest Fox News survey reveals a significant shift in public perception and growing concerns over Biden’s mental fitness.
Fox News Poll Shows Trump leads Biden in Hypothetical 2024 Rematch
In a head-to-head contest between Trump and Biden, the survey indicates that Trump holds a narrow lead, with 48% of respondents favoring him compared to Biden’s 46%.
Notably, Trump’s performance in this hypothetical matchup is the strongest among all Republicans surveyed against Biden. Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley also maintains a slight lead over Biden, with 45% support to Biden’s 43%. However, all other Republican candidates either trail Biden or lead by a smaller margin.
One critical factor potentially influencing Biden’s lagging performance is the perception among voters that he is mentally unfit for the office of the President. An astonishing 61% of registered voters expressed doubt regarding Biden’s “mental soundness” to serve effectively in the highest office.
This perception has steadily increased since July 2020 when only 39% held such concerns. In contrast, 52% of respondents believed that Trump lacked the mental soundness for office, indicating a marginal increase of 1% since July 2020.
This revealing survey was conducted between September 9th and 12th, involving 1,012 registered voters, with a margin of error of +/- 3%. Trump’s lead over Biden by 0.5% in the RealClearPolitics polling average further underscores the significance of these findings.
GOP Primary Race Shifts with Trump’s Growing Support and DeSantis’ Decline
In a parallel survey conducted by Fox News and Rupert Murdoch for the GOP primary race, a similar trend emerges. President Trump’s support base is on the rise, while Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is experiencing a decline in popularity. Notably, Fox News has made considerable efforts to support DeSantis, including providing him with favorable interviews and promoting his campaign. Nevertheless, even Rupert Murdoch now concedes that DeSantis is failing to garner the support of base Republican voters.
The survey data, collected three weeks after the first Republican presidential primary debate, demonstrates that Donald Trump has not only increased his lead in the race but has also solidified his support base. An impressive 60% of Republican primary voters back Trump, a significant jump from 53% in the Fox News pre-debate poll conducted in August. Conversely, Ron DeSantis has seen his support drop by 3 points to 13% since the debate. Vivek Ramaswamy maintains steady support at 11%, Nikki Haley follows with 5%, and Mike Pence and Tim Scott each have 3% support. Chris Christie lags behind at 2%, while all other candidates receive 1% or less.
The shift in support for Trump is particularly noticeable among women (+10), voters under the age of 45 (+9), White evangelicals (+8), and White men without a college degree (+8).
Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts the Fox News Poll alongside Democrat Chris Anderson, notes, “Unless something changes, this is Trump’s race to lose.” This observation is reinforced by the growing number of GOP primary voters (now at 65%) who express their unwavering commitment to backing Trump, up from 58% in June.
The Republican National Committee (RNC) appears to be facing a challenging position as the September 27th Fox Business News debate at the Reagan Library approaches. President Trump has already announced his non-attendance, leaving the remaining candidates in a situation where their preparations for a debate may have limited relevance to voters.
As the 2024 presidential election draws nearer, the political landscape is witnessing a shift in support and concerns over the mental fitness of candidates. The implications of these findings are poised to shape the strategies and outcomes of key political figures in the coming election.
Disclaimer: This article may contain the viewpoint and opinion of the author.