Over the past month the most covered political story in America has been what we call the "Biden-Bragg-Colangelo" prosecution of President Trump.
This government-inspired circus has had a political impact: Donald Trump has strengthened politically, as Joe Biden has weakened.
Thus, after a year of indictments and legal targeting of Donald Trump and his allies, Trump still leads Biden in our latest poll Trump 47%, Biden 43%. [This national poll of 1,000 likely voters, +/-3.1% at the 95% confidence interval, was completed between May 9 and 15, 2024].
The polling data shows a majority of voters want the political prosecutions of Trump to stop. At the same time voters have factored Joe Biden’s legal persecution of Trump into their voting calculus.
Here are some takeaways:
- 66% of all voters say that politics has played a role in the indictments of President Trump.
- 59% of all voters say that Joe Biden has played a role in the indictments of President Trump.
- 53% of all voters think Joe Biden really wants to stop Donald Trump from winning by putting him in jail [only 33% say Biden doesn’t want to put Trump in jail].
After four years of Joe Biden, Americans know that they're not better off.
Most voters are angry and the rest are worried.
So Donald Trump leads on the ballot and the remaining undecided vote have largely decided they are not voting for the incumbent.
That’s good news for Trump.
Some more takeaways:
- 68% of all voters say the country is on the wrong track.
- 80% of undecided voters say we’re on the wrong track.
- 57% of the voters disapprove of the job Joe Biden is doing as president.
- 81% among undecided voters disapprove the job Biden is doing.
When asked from a lengthy list of top issues 43% said economic ones mattered most.
And 23% says inflation was the number one single issue.
No surprise, these economic issue cluster voters prefer Trump 53% to 36%.
Candidates for president usually win or lose based on job performance related to the economy, so this suggests Biden is in deep trouble.
Security issues — whether border security or other national security issues — account for 21% of voters’ concerns.
Trump leads these security cluster issue voters with an even bigger margin: 73% to 20%.
Biden does lead among social issue cluster voters (including Social Security/Medicare, climate change, healthcare, abortion, race relations, education).
Such voters account for 26% of the vote and prefer Biden 67% to 24%.
Still, it’s the dominant economic issues which are allowing President Trump to beat Biden.
In spite of Biden administration propaganda, 49% of all voters say the economy is in recession.
And voters are not optimistic, with 64% saying the economy is getting worse with just 31% seeing the economy improving.
In total, 85% of all voters say that they have been negatively impacted by inflation.
Almost a majority — 47% — say that they are struggling to keep up and afford basic necessities.
This data may hurt Biden the most since lower-incomed voters are a key part of the Democratic base.
Another 38% say that they are not struggling, but inflation and higher prices have had a significant impact on them.
Only 15% of the voters say that they can afford normal spending without cutting back.
No wonder Joe Biden keeps repeating the lie that inflation was at 9% when he took office. (Trump left Biden with a 1.4% inflation rate.)
Who the voters blame for their economic woes is very clear.
Only 38% say that "Bidenomics" has been good for the economy. The majority, 54%, say Bidenomics has been bad for the economy, inflation and the cost of living.
Among the undecideds 64% say Bidenomics has been bad for the economy.
This data is at the heart of Biden’s woes.
Consider 53% of independents and 23% of Democrats agree that Bidenomics is bad.
Most Hispanics — 47% — and 27% of African Americans say Bidenomics is bad.
And the stunner is that 55% of women are more likely to say Bidenomics is bad – and that’s even more than men at 53%.
When asked what better describes President Biden’s economic policies, only 3 in 10 voters say free market capitalism.
Almost half of all voters, 48%, said Biden’s policies are big government socialism.
With these troubling national issues it’s not a surprise that 54% to 36% the voters say that Biden should stop targeting President Trump with legal persecutions and interfering in the election.
Instead, they want Biden to let the voters decide the next president, as our democracy provides.
May Poll results may be found here: www.mclaughlinonline.com
John McLaughlin has worked professionally as a strategic consultant and pollster for over 40 years. Jim McLaughlin is a nationally recognized public opinion expert, strategic consultant and political strategist who has helped to elect a U.S. president, prime ministers, a Senate majority leader, and a speaker of the House. Read John and Jim McLaughlin's Reports — More Here.