CNN’s senior data reporter Harry Enten explained Thursday how current matchup polls between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are “vastly different” than those seen in the 2020 race.
A new CNN poll found 47% of voters would vote for Trump if the election were held today, compared to just 46% who said they’d vote for Biden.
Enten said while both candidates are within a margin of error, there is one key difference that could be worrisome for Biden.
“What I will note is there was not a single poll conducted by CNN during the entire 2020 cycle in which Donald Trump got a higher share of the vote than Joe Biden,” Enten explained. “So this is a vastly different picture from what we saw from four years ago.” (RELATED: CNN Political Director Warns Of ‘Troublingly Low’ Approval Ratings, Dangerous Trend For Biden)
The poll also found 46% of voters would choose any Republican candidate over Biden, and 58% of voters blame Biden’s policies for worsened economic conditions.
SSRS conducted the CNN poll via online and telephone survey, and it took place between Aug. 25-31 among a random national sample of 1,503 adults. The margin of error was 3.5%.
A Wall Street Journal (WSJ) poll also hinted at bad news for Biden. Trump lead the incumbent by 11 points on the question of who has a better record. Biden lagged 10 points behind Trump in perceived mental fitness. Fifty-eight percent of respondents said the economy has worsened over the last two years, with a majority disapproving of Biden’s handling of the economy.
The WSJ poll surveyed 1,500 registered voters between Aug. 24 and 30 and had a plus or minus 2.5% margin of error.