Washington: US President Donald Trump faces an uphill task in his re-election bid in November with his approval rating hitting a record low. On the other hand Democratic nominee Joe Biden has taken a double-digit lead in key indicators. This is according to a survey conducted by the ‘Washington Post’ and ‘ABC News’. The opinion poll, conducted July 12 to 15, shows how the coronavirus outbreak has adversely affected Donald Trump’s prospects.
Now, the president’s hopes of winning are pinned on his enthusiastic core base of supporters. Also he will have to show the electorate that the coronavirus pandemic is being dealt with effectively, ‘The Washington Post’ said in its report on the ‘ABC News-Post poll’.
Among registered voters, Biden, 77, leads Trump, 74, 55 per cent to 40 per cent. In the same category, Biden led Trump by just two points in March and by 10 points in May.
The survey found that traditional Republican and Democratic voters are treating the November polls as a referendum on Trump. They are not deciding on whether Biden is a more suitable candidate, the report said.
Seventy-two per cent of Trump voters say re-electing the president is important. However, 62 per cent of Biden voters say defeating Trump is the goal.
‘The Washington Post-ABC News’ poll was conducted by phone among a random American citizens sample of 1,006 adults. Results may have error margin of plus/minus 3.5 percentage points.
The survey said 54 per cent of Americans believe Biden would handle COVID-19 outbreak better than Trump. Only 34 per cent felt Trump was doing well tackling the pandemic. In handling of the economy, Biden has made giant strides and is nearly on par with Trump in the opinion poll, the ‘ABC News’ reported.
Biden edges out Trump by 9 points in crime and safety, which has been a major topic in the US after hundreds of anti-racism protests in the last two months.
On race relations, Biden has a lead of 25 points over his Republican rival (58-33 per cent). Trump’s job approval rating has plummeted in the last two months, standing at 39 per cent positive and 57 per cent negative.
However, Trump has managed to hold a positive view on his handling of the economy. Fifty per cent of the surveyed said they are happy with the US economy’s performance and 47 per cent disapproved Trump’s measures.
Biden is perceived to have a better personality and temperament to serve as president. He holds a 26 points advantage over Trump, the Washington Post reported.
Biden out scores Trump handsomely in ‘uniting the country’ (24 points), understanding problems of the people (17 points), honesty and trust (14 points), representation of ‘personal values’ (12 points).
In the survey, 61 per cent said Trump has done more to divide the US than unite it. Both presidential candidates are seen as strong leaders, sharing the category at 45 per cent each.
The ‘ABC News-Post’ survey was conducted as coronavirus cases have gone through the roof in the US. So far, the virus has claimed over 1,40,000 lives with 3.7 million confirmed cases in the US.
The Republicans have struggled on a consistent and effective line of attack against Biden. The coronavirus is weighing heavily on the minds of the American voters, the ‘Washington Post’ article said.