A recent Gallup survey found that fewer Americans believe President Biden is competent in his job compared to four years ago. Furthermore, less than half of Americans think Biden can effectively manage the government, care about people like them, and is honest and trustworthy. In contrast, the same survey showed that more Americans believe Donald Trump is able to manage the government effectively. Trump also leads Biden in terms of being seen as a strong and decisive leader and showing good judgment in a crisis. However, Biden is perceived as more likable, caring, and honest than Trump by a majority of respondents.
The survey results varied greatly based on political affiliation, with Democrats overwhelmingly supporting Biden and Republicans supporting Trump. Independents were more split in their opinions of both candidates. Despite the differences in party support, Biden’s favorability rating has seen a decrease to 41%, while Trump’s rating is currently at 42%. The survey was conducted in March 2022 among 1,016 adults with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
The upcoming election in November 2022 is set to be a historic event as it will feature a contest between a sitting president and a former president. The last time a similar situation occurred was in 1912 when Theodore Roosevelt challenged Republican incumbent William Howard Taft. Trump is hoping to become only the second president in history to be elected to non-consecutive terms, after Democrat Grover Cleveland achieved this in 1884 and 1892.
Current polling data shows Trump and Biden are closely matched, with Trump holding a slight edge in the RealClearPolitics aggregate of national polls. Trump is also leading in six out of the top seven battleground states, trailing only slightly in Pennsylvania. The race between the two candidates is shaping up to be closely contested, with both Trump and Biden having their own strengths and weaknesses in the eyes of American voters. Ultimately, the decision on who will be the next president will be up to the voters in the coming election.
