Washington, D.C. – A recent internal poll shared by a key pollster for the Biden campaign on Monday revealed that the president’s standing remains steady despite a lackluster performance during the previous week’s debate. The campaign’s aim in releasing the results was to reassure anxious Democrats concerned about Biden’s ability to maintain his candidacy. They hope to prevent any prominent defections following a debate where the president seemed to struggle verbally and lose his focus.
According to campaign pollster Geoff Garin of Hart Research, the weekend poll results indicated that Trump holds a slight lead in a direct competition, much like the lead he held in a poll conducted back in May. Furthermore, the results from a trial poll that incorporated third-party candidates, such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., closely mirrored those from May. Garin expressed confidence that both public and private polling in the upcoming weeks would reflect similar findings.
In an interview on Monday, Garin emphasized that they believe the debate’s impact has already been factored into voters’ decision-making processes. Supporters of Biden have reportedly acknowledged his signs of aging but remain committed due to either his achievements or a strong disapproval of a potential second term for Trump. Garin pointed out that the debate did not provoke significant reconsideration of voters’ choices based on the polling data.
The poll of 1,805 registered voters conducted in seven battleground states, including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, showed consistent favorability ratings for Biden before and after the debate. Despite some voters expressing more negativity towards Biden after the debate, the majority continued to support him in trial heats. The campaign also released a video showcasing Biden’s energetic performance in North Carolina, which received positive feedback from viewers.
Many Democratic donors and elected officials are reportedly waiting for public and private polling results to decide whether to advocate for Biden to step down from the race. Concern within the party has grown following the debate where Biden’s speech often appeared disjointed or trailing off. Independent polls conducted before and after the debate reflected a widespread sentiment that questions Biden’s fitness for office, with a CBS-YouGov poll finding an increase in the percentage of voters who doubted Biden’s mental and cognitive health.
Overall, the Biden campaign aims to show that despite concerns about the president’s age and performance, the debate did not significantly sway voters away from Biden. They remain confident in Biden’s advantages over Trump, particularly in areas related to protecting democracy and prioritizing the country’s best interests. The internal poll results provide some reassurance for Democrats amidst growing uncertainty surrounding Biden’s candidacy.