A new Emerson College national poll released Thursday shows former President Donald Trump with the lead over President Joe Biden after the president's polling rate dropped since early April.
The poll put Trump over Biden by 46% to 43%, with Biden's support dropping by 2 percentage points since the last Emerson poll in early April. Trump's numbers remained at 46%, reports The Hill.
The Emerson College Polling survey was conducted from April 16-17 among 1,308 registered voters and carried a 2.6 percent margin of error.
According to the poll, another 12% of voters reported that they were still undecided, but when they were urged to pick a candidate, numbers climbed to 51% for Trump and 48% for Biden, still leaving Trump with a 3-point lead.
However, both Trump and Biden lost numbers with independent candidates being thrown into the equation, with Trump dropping to 44% and Biden to 40%.
Among the independent candidates, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gathered 8% of supporters with another 8% being undecided, and 1% supported Cornel West.
Immigration and the economy were listed among the most critical issues among voters.
Most of the poll's respondents, at 70%, said they think the cost of living is going up, with people who said they believe this being more likely to support Trump over Biden, said Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling.
"Voters who think the cost of living is rising support Trump over Biden, 56% to 32%," he said. "Those who feel the cost of living is easing or staying the same support Biden over Trump, 94% to 6% and 67% to 18%."
Polled voters also spoke out about the Israel-Hamas war, with 44% saying they do not believe they are getting all the information about the conflict.
"Perceptions of receiving accurate war information show a significant split," Kimball commented. "Biden leads among those who think they are getting accurate information (53% to 36%), while Trump leads among skeptics (53% to 38%). Those unsure are divided, with 44% leaning toward Trump and 42% toward Biden."