Trump leads Biden, Sanders in hypothetical 2024 matchups: poll

BY MAX GREENWOOD – The Hill

Donald Trump is leading two of his prospective Democratic rivals in hypothetical 2024 matchups, a sign that the former president would be a viable political force should he choose to make another run for the White House.

A new poll from Emerson College found Trump running 3 percentage points ahead of President Biden, with 46 percent choosing the former president and 43 percent picking the incumbent. In a hypothetical matchup against another would-be candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Trump leads 45 percent to 40 percent.

Trump hasn’t yet said whether he will launch a comeback campaign in 2024, though he has repeatedly teased the possibility and is said to be weighing an announcement as early as this year.

Biden, meanwhile, has said that he plans to run for a second term in the White House, despite recent polling showing that most Democrats don’t want him to seek reelection.

Sanders, who sought the Democratic nomination unsuccessfully in 2016 and 2020, is also seen as a potential 2024 contender, though he has said that he will not challenge Biden for the nomination if the president decides to run for a second term.

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One of the hurdles for Biden remains his sagging approval ratings. The Emerson College poll released on Friday found that just 40 percent of voters approve of his job performance, while 53 percent disapprove.

Of course, even if Trump ultimately decides to run for the White House again, he could face a challenge for the Republican nomination. While he’s currently seen as the favorite for the 2024 GOP nod, recent polling has shown other would-be candidates – most notably Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis – gaining ground in a hypothetical primary matchup.

The Emerson College poll surveyed 1,078 registered voters from July 19-20. It has a credibility interval – similar to a margin of error – of +/-2.9 percentage points.