An MSNBC panel grew bewildered at a poll indicating independent voters find President Joe Biden to be a bigger threat to democracy than former President Donald Trump.
A PBS Newshour/NPR/Marist poll found 53% of independents believe Biden’s second term will “weaken America,” while 42% believed Trump would further harm democracy.
“I find it shocking, honestly,” MSNBC political analyst Susan Del Percio said. “I can’t make sense of that number. I wish I could. I wish I could have some really great insight to it, but I don’t know if it’s an outlier or not, because the other numbers of independents are going in the right direction. So, that may be it.”
Del Percio appeared to blame the media for not airing Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s trial on television for people’s disinterest in the case and belief that Biden is a bigger threat to democracy. (RELATED: Catholic Voters Are Ditching Biden For Trump: POLL)
The poll found that 45% of Americans believe the trial is unfair and is plotting to interfere in the 2024 presidential election. A majority, 54%, found the trial to be fair in order to find if Trump violated the law.
A majority of those surveyed viewed both Biden and Trump unfavorably, with 56% disapproving of Trump and 54% hold a negative view of Biden, according to the poll. Thirty-seven percent of Americans said Trump’s potential second term could strengthen democracy, while 30% said the same for Trump.
Trump has repeatedly held a narrow lead against Biden in recent polls. A New York Times/Siena College poll from April 13 found Trump holding a 46%-45% lead over Biden, creating a more competitive race from the month prior, where Trump held a 5-point lead.
The former president is leading Biden in key swing states, including Georgia, Arizona, and Wisconsin.