GOP Voters View Trump Far More Favorably Than Democrats See Biden, Though Voters of Both Parties Remain Sour on a Rematch
Although the wider voter base and Republican elites have questions about President Trump’s electability, GOP primary voters still see him as their best shot.
A new survey shows that most Americans don’t think presidents Biden or Trump are the strongest candidates for either political party. Republicans, though, have a much more favorable view of Mr. Trump than Democrats do of Mr. Biden.
A poll of 1,500 Americans conducted by YouGov for the Economist asked respondents whether they think Messrs. Biden and Trump are the strongest potential candidates for their respective parties to nominate.
Among all respondents, 20 percent said Mr. Biden was the strongest candidate for the Democrats compared to 61 percent who said he is not.
For Mr. Trump, 31 percent said he would be the strongest candidate for the Republicans, while 51 percent disagreed.
Among Democrats, Mr. Biden’s numbers rose to 39 percent who see him as the strongest candidate and 36 percent who do not. Among Republicans, 55 percent of respondents said Mr. Trump is the strongest candidate, and 30 percent said he is not.
While Mr. Biden’s lackluster Democratic support has been consistent for months and could hurt him in the general election, the finding that a majority of Republicans report believing Mr. Trump is the strongest candidate is an ominous sign for rival Republicans seeking the nomination.
With more than a dozen candidates running for the GOP nomination, it’s clear that opinions of Mr. Trump will need to shift among Republicans before any of them can hope to defeat him in a primary.
This issue is reflected in the GOP nomination polling conducted by YouGov, which found that Mr. Trump enjoys 49 percent support, while Governor DeSantis is at 20 percent. Vice President Pence has 6 percent support, and all other candidates are polling at 3 percent or less.
Before the indictments of Mr. Trump came down, there was speculation from within the GOP that criminal charges might hurt him in the primary. The indictments of Mr. Trump, though, only seem to have cemented his lead in the primary, leading groups in opposition to Mr. Trump, like the Club for Growth, to attack him on electability.
In a recent ad placed by a group affiliated with the Club for Growth in Iowa, the speaker says, “I mean, we definitely need somebody that can freaking win. I think you’d probably lose that bet if you voted for Trump.”
Other Republicans who are not currently holding office, like Speaker Ryan and Governor Hogan, have made similar arguments, though it’s clear from the survey data that many Republican primary voters do not agree.
