Top story of 2023? | Eastern North Carolina Now

A new poll shows that President Donald Trump is leading President Joe Biden in nearly every major battleground state.

An overwhelming majority, between 60 and 70 percent, of voters in each of the six key states told pollsters that the country is headed in the wrong direction, including the majority of voters from every racial, gender, education, and income class.

The specific numbers in each state paint a dire portrait for President Biden in practically every battleground state that led to his securing the presidency in 2020.

The poll has a 1.8 percent margin of error, and, even accounting for this margin, President Trump has the lead in each state polled but Wisconsin.

In Arizona—a state that was ultimately called in 2020 for President Biden—President Trump has a five-point lead, with 49 percent of voters preferring him compared to 44 percent preferring the incumbent.

Likewise, in Georgia—a state called for President Biden by an extremely narrow margin in 2020—voters now claim a significant preference for President Trump, who has a six-point lead. Forty-nine percent say they‘d vote for the former president if the election were held tomorrow, while only 43 percent say they’d support President Biden.

The situation is equally foreboding for President Biden in Michigan, a Rust Belt state where the president has focused much of his efforts, portraying himself as “the most pro-union president in history.” Despite these claims, voters in this state also reported a substantial preference for President Trump, with 48 percent saying they support him while only 43 percent support President Biden.

President Trump’s most remarkable battleground lead is recorded in Nevada, which President Biden also won in 2020. Fifty-two percent of voters there say they prefer President Trump, compared to 41 percent for President Biden.

President Trump also has a substantial lead in Pennsylvania, with polls showing a four-point preference for him over the sitting president. Forty-eight percent of voters polled there say they'd vote for President Trump, while only 44 percent prefer President Biden.

President Biden’s only recorded lead in polling is in Wisconsin, where he’s ahead by two points—just barely outside the 1.8 point margin of error. In that state, which President Biden won in 2020, 47 percent of voters prefer him compared to 45 percent that prefer President Trump.

The poll found that only 46 percent of black voters would commit to supporting President Biden—a significant cause for concern for the president, as black voters propelled him to the nomination in South Carolina and to the White House through their support for him in Georgia.

The poll comes after a series of indictments against the former president, which have only served to strengthen his popularity among voters.

President Biden’s performance in office has been heavily scrutinized by voters as they deal with an array of issues like inflation, skyrocketing energy prices, a crime wave, and an unprecedented influx of aliens into the United States.

The most recent polling from The NY Times set off alarm bells among Democrats.

Speaking on MSNBC, Rep. Pramilla Jayapal (D-Wash.), chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, acknowledged significant concern about the poll.

“This is the first time ... that I have felt like the 2024 election is in great trouble for the president and for our Democrat control,” Ms. Jayapal said.

However, other curveballs could still happen in the race for the White House.

Recently, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., son of the late Attorney General Robert Kennedy, announced that he was mounting an Independent run for the Oval Office. It’s unclear to spectators if such a run will take more votes from President Trump or from President Biden.

Meanwhile, a group calling itself No Labels, which markets itself as a centrist alternative to both major parties, is also expected to nominate a ticket for an Independent run. Figures like Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) have been proposed as potential options. Such a run, if it moves forward, is generally expected to hurt President Biden more than President Trump.