Polling continues to turn sour on President Joe Biden, who turned 81 on Monday, as former President Donald Trump can now boast a 5-point lead in the key battleground state of Michigan.
The new EPIC/MRA poll
Trump trailed by 1 point in the August edition of the poll (46%-45%), with the latest results marking a 6-point swing in Trump's favor. Biden lost 5 points and Trump picked up a point.
There was a signal that much of Biden's support was simply a vote against Trump, as former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley trounced the incumbent in the poll by 11 points.
Biden pulled just 36% support against Haley and an even great percentage of likely voters were undecided (17%). Meanwhile, 37% of likely Michigan voters had not heard of Haley before, potentially showing her support might amount to merely voting against Biden.
"Democrats ought to be aware there is a growing possibility that Donald Trump may become president again," EPIC-MRA pollster Bernie Porn told the Detroit Free Press.
Michigan holds 16 Electoral College votes in the 2024 presidential election, making it one of the biggest battlegrounds. It is also one of the most Democrat-leaning states among the key battlegrounds, which include Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
Voters are turned off Biden because of his age and handling of the economy, according to the pollster.
"I think it's his age and comparative perceptions of him versus Trump," Porn told the Free Press. "People are dismissing the Bidenomics approach — they're not impressed with that messaging."
The Free Press poll was conducted by EPIC-MRA among 600 likely Michigan voters Nov. 10-16. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.