Democratic support for President Biden to run in 2024 has surged since the midterm contests, while the share of Republicans who think former President Donald Trump can win again has dipped, a new poll finds.
A USA TODAY/Ipsos Poll said the share of Democrats who think Mr. Biden could win in 2024 is up to 71%, from 60% who felt that way in August.
Exactly three-quarters of Republicans say the same about Mr. Trump, who recently announced a presidential bid from his Florida estate. That’s a better share than within Mr. Biden’s party, but 7 points lower than the 82% of Republicans who were bullish about the ex-president before the midterms.
The GOP retook the House but did not produce a “red wave” and squandered the chance to regain the Senate. The results put a spring in Mr. Biden’s step after many pundits predicted doom for his party and his standing as a 2024 candidate, given he just turned 80 years old.
Some in the GOP are looking for an alternative to Mr. Trump because some of his hand-picked candidates lost key races. They say he’s become a drag on the Republican Party.
“Pre-midterms, Trump had an advantage with his base headed towards 2024,” Clifford Young, president of U.S. Public Affairs at Ipsos, told USA Today. “Now, post-midterms, Trump has been winged and Democrats are more confident in Biden, setting this up to be a close fight. The race is on.”
Mr. Biden saw his biggest gains among voters younger than 35 (to 69% from 53%) and women (to 71% from 55%), the pollsters said.
The survey of about 2,000 adults was performed on Nov. 15 and Nov. 16 and has a margin of error of 2.5 points for all respondents.