Americans Dread a 2020 Rematch in ‘24: Poll

More Democrats want an alternative to President Biden on the ticket than Republicans who want an alternative to Mr. Trump.

Sean McKeag/The Citizens' Voice via AP
President Trump at a rally at Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, September 3, 2022. Sean McKeag/The Citizens' Voice via AP

Practically no one in America would be happy with a rematch between Presidents Trump and Biden in 2024, if the results of a new poll are any indication.

A new joint poll from the Washington Post and ABC News suggests that Mr. Trump enjoys a slight lead over Mr. Biden in a matchup — but little enthusiasm from either camp for their respective candidate.

Mr. Trump leads Mr. Biden 48 to 44 — practically within the poll’s 3.5 percent margin of error. 

More than half of likely-Democratic voters — 59 percent — would prefer another candidate besides the president as the Democratic nominee.

Less than a third of likely-Democratic voters want Mr. Biden to represent their party in the 2024 election.

Voters likely to vote Republican are more split on the question of Mr. Trump. About half, or 49 percent, want an alternative candidate, while 44 percent say they want the 45th president back on the ballot in the general election in November 2024.

Overall, a majority of Americans would be disappointed if either man were reelected. About 62 percent of Americans said they would be “dissatisfied” or “angry” if Mr. Biden were elected to a second term; more than 56 percent said the same about Mr. Trump.

While the Republican base is not yet ready to abandon Mr. Trump, leaders and donors and the party have expressed concern about his electability.

On a Sunday morning talk show appearance, Governor Sununu of New Hampshire doubled down on his belief that Mr. Trump would lose a general election if nominated. “It can’t get done. He could get the nomination, but he can’t get [it] done,” Mr. Sununu said of Mr. Trump’s reelection prospects on ABC’s “This Week.”

Mr. Sununu has been reportedly considering a run himself, alongside potential candidates such as Secretary Pompeo and Governor DeSantis. Governor Haley of South Carolina is expected to announce her candidacy later this month.

When it comes to donors, a political action committee associated with billionaire Charles Koch, Americans for Prosperity, has announced its intentions to begin funding candidates in the Republican presidential primary.

“The Republican Party is nominating bad candidates who are advocating for things that go against core American principles. And the American people are rejecting them,” a memo from the organization’s CEO, Emily Seidel, said. “[I]f we want better candidates, we’ve got to get involved in elections earlier and in more primaries.”

Ms. Seidel hinted that Mr. Trump would not be the organization’s preferred candidate, saying the “best” candidate would be one “who represents a new chapter.”


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