In a highly anticipated showdown, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump went head-to-head in Atlanta for the first presidential debate leading up to the 2024 election. The aftermath of the debate has seen a shift in the polls, with Trump now edging ahead of Biden by a narrow margin of 41% to 38%, according to an exclusive USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll.
While this new advantage for Trump signals a close contest rather than a decisive lead, other findings in the poll have raised red flags for President Biden. Following his lackluster performance in the debate, 41% of Democrats expressed a desire to see Biden replaced at the top of the ticket.
The poll also revealed that Trump now leads as the second choice of voters, with 25% naming him as their backup option compared to 17% for Biden. This shift in second-choice votes from third-party candidates to Trump has raised concerns for the Biden campaign as they had hoped these voters would eventually swing back in their favor as Election Day approached.
Furthermore, the enthusiasm gap between Trump and Biden supporters could play a crucial role in voter turnout come November. Trump voters were found to be much more excited about their candidate than Biden supporters were about theirs, with 59% of Trump voters expressing high levels of excitement compared to just 30% of Biden voters.
Additionally, Trump supporters have shown skepticism about the accuracy of the vote count in the upcoming election, with 44% stating they were not confident in the results being reported accurately. In contrast, 83% of Biden supporters expressed confidence in a fair count.
As the race tightens and tensions rise, both campaigns will need to strategize effectively to secure the support needed to clinch victory in what promises to be a closely contested election.