Biden has a lead over Democratic primary challengers, but faces headwinds overall

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President Joe Biden’s bid for a second term begins with a wide advantage over his declared opponents for the Democratic nomination, but he faces headwinds among the overall public from declining favorability and a widespread view that his reelection would be more negative than positive for the country, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS.

Just a third of Americans say that Biden winning in 2024 would be a step forward or a triumph for the country (33%). At the same time, the survey finds a decline in favorable views of Biden over the past six months, from 42% in December to 35% now. CONTINUED

Jennifer Agiesta, CNN

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Marquette Law School Poll finds Trump and DeSantis leading Biden in head-to-head matches, DeSantis losing ground to Trump in primary

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A new Marquette Law School Poll national survey finds that, as the race for president in 2024 now stands, Democratic President Joe Biden trails Republican former President Donald Trump by 5 percentage points among registered voters, with 52% for Trump and 47% for Biden. Biden also trails Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis by 4 percentage points, with 52% for DeSantis and 48% for Biden.

Many voters demonstrate reluctance to choose between either pair of candidates. When voters are given the choice of Biden, Trump, someone else, or not voting, 34% say Biden, 41% say Trump, 19% say someone else, and 7% say they won’t vote. When voters are given the same choices involving Biden and DeSantis, 37% say Biden, 38% say DeSantis, 18% say someone else, and 7% say they won’t vote. …

Trump leads among registered Republican voters, drawing support from 46%, with DeSantis the choice of 25%. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley receives 5%, businessperson Vivek Ramaswamy is the choice of 3%, and former Vice President Mike Pence is supported by 2%. South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott receives 1%, as do talk radio host Larry Elder and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu. Former governors Chris Christie and Asa Hutchinson received less than .5% support, while 16% said they were undecided. CONTINUED

Marquette Law School

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Most Americans say curbing gun violence is more important than gun rights

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The highest percentage of Americans in a decade say they think it’s more important to curb gun violence than protect gun rights, according to a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll.

The finding comes a year after the mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, the second-deadliest in American history. Multiple other mass shootings that have taken place in the time since that one.

But the survey of almost 1,300 adults also shows Americans’ views on guns are mixed, with little consensus on what to do about gun violence. CONTINUED

Domenico Montanaro, NPR News

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A year after Uvalde, support rises for controlling gun violence

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Four in 10 Americans think schools in their communities are not safe from gun violence, according to the latest PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll. As the United States marks one year since the deadly shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, when 19 children and two teachers were killed, support for controlling gun violence has hit its highest level in a decade of Marist data.

Most U.S. adults feel their local schools are safe from gun violence. But from Newport News to Denver to Nashville, the number of communities affected by shootings grows, as well as a sense of unease: Concern about gun violence in schools has risen 10-percentage points since February 2019, a year after the school shooting in Parkland, Florida. People in the South, where gun laws tend to be less restrictive, were more likely in this poll to feel their local schools were vulnerable to gun violence than those in the Northeast and Midwest. CONTINUED

Laura Santhanam, PBS NewsHour

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Fox News Poll: Majority says only increase debt ceiling with spending cuts

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With under two weeks until a potential default on the nation’s debt, a majority of registered voters says increasing the debt ceiling should only happen with spending cuts, and two-thirds believe that failing to raise that limit will result in financial catastrophe. That’s a complete reversal from 12 years ago during the last debt ceiling crisis.

According to the latest Fox News survey, 63% think failing to raise the debt limit will create a financial catastrophe for America, while one-third (32%) say that’s an exaggeration. In July 2011, 39% felt catastrophe was on the horizon while 55% felt it was an overblown prediction.

The switch can be attributed to bipartisan majorities now agreeing that defaulting would be catastrophic. CONTINUED

Victoria Balara, Fox News

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Fox News Poll: More than half of voters think Trump is a strong leader, Biden isn’t

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Big announcements in the Republican presidential primary race produce little movement in the latest Fox News survey.

Former president Donald Trump maintains his lead with 53% support among GOP primary voters nationally, and Ron DeSantis once again comes in second at 20%. Last month, it was 53-21%. Since February, Trump has gained 10 points and DeSantis has lost 8.

The next tier includes Mike Pence at 5%, Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy both at 4%, and Liz Cheney and Tim Scott at 2% apiece. Greg Abbott, Kristi Noem, Chris Sununu, and Glenn Youngkin receive 1%, while Chris Christie, Larry Elder, Asa Hutchinson, and Francis Suarez are at less than 1% each. …

The survey also asks about traits for Biden and Trump, and the findings are stark. Majorities not only believe that both men lack honesty and empathy, but also the appropriate judgment and mental soundness to serve as the country’s leader. CONTINUED

Dana Blanton, Fox News

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