'DONALD TRUMP HOLDS STEADY LEAD OVER JOE BIDEN AS RACE FOR WHITE HOUSE HEATS UP'

NEW DELHI: In the latest CNN poll conducted by SSRS, Donald Trump maintains a consistent advantage over President Joe Biden as both the presidential campaign and Trump's criminal trial progress. The poll reveals that Trump retains the support of 49% of registered voters in a direct matchup, unchanged from January, while Biden’s support has slightly dipped to 43% from 45%.

Reflecting on their first terms, 55% of Americans now view Trump’s presidency as successful, a significant shift from January 2021, when the same percentage labeled it a failure shortly after the January 6 Capitol attack. In contrast, 61% of respondents consider Biden’s current term a failure, worsening from 57% in January 2022, the CNN report said.

The poll underscores a strong partisan divide: 92% of Republicans view Trump's presidency favorably, compared to only 73% of Democrats who feel the same about Biden’s term. Among independents, 51% favor Trump’s term over 37% who approve of Biden’s efforts.

Economic concerns dominate voter priorities, with 65% of registered voters citing the economy as extremely important in their decision-making—significantly higher than in the past two presidential elections. These economically concerned voters overwhelmingly favor Trump over Biden, 62% to 30%.

A broad majority, 70%, view US economic conditions negatively. Interestingly, 41% of those who rate the economy poorly believe a change in political leadership would be more influential than economic policies like inflation control.

On individual issues, Biden struggles with low approval ratings across the board, especially regarding his handling of the economy (34% approval) and inflation (29% approval). His policies on healthcare and student loans fare slightly better but still fall short of majority approval.

The poll also highlights a national frustration with the available presidential candidates, with 53% of voters dissatisfied with their choices. Negative views of both Biden and Trump persist, with 58% holding an unfavorable opinion of Biden and 55% of Trump.

Adding complexity to the electoral landscape, when independent candidates like Robert F Kennedy Jr, Cornel West, and Jill Stein are considered, Trump’s lead adjusts to 42%, followed by Biden at 33% and Kennedy capturing 16%.

The survey, conducted from April 18-23 among 1,212 adults, includes 967 registered voters and carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points for the registered voter sample.