Donald Trump beats Joe Biden in 2024 election poll

Former US President Donald Trump had a slight lead in a poll on the hypothetical 2024 election matchup with Joe Biden.

Former US President Donald Trump speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida, US February 28, 2021. (photo credit: REUTERS/OCTAVIO JONES/FILE PHOTO)
Former US President Donald Trump speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida, US February 28, 2021.
(photo credit: REUTERS/OCTAVIO JONES/FILE PHOTO)

Donald Trump is slightly favored over Joe Biden in a hypothetical 2024 presidential matchup, according to a poll Emerson College conducted from August to September 2021.

Some 47% of respondents preferred Trump, while 46% preferred Biden, with a margin of error of +/- 2.7 percentage points.

Biden's overall approval rating was 46% and disapproval was 47%, with 7% undecided. This is a lower approval rating than an Emerson poll from February, in which 49% of respondents approved of Biden's presidency and 39% disapproved, with 12% undecided.

Both politicians are the preferred candidate for their party in the 2024 election. 60% of Democrats said they want President Biden to be the presidential nominee and 39% said they would rather it be someone else. Meanwhile, 67% of Republicans said they would vote for former President Trump in the primary while only 10% said they would prefer another candidate, such as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. If Trump is not an option, 32% said they would vote for DeSantis and 24% said they would pick former Vice President Mike Pence.

The Emerson report noted that enthusiasm regarding the 2022 midterm elections is low, with only 71% of Democrats and 69% of Republicans saying they are likely to vote.

US President Joe Biden points a finger as he delivers remarks on the administration's continued drawdown efforts in Afghanistan in a speech from the East Room at the White House in Washington US, July 8, 2021. (credit: EVELYN HOCKSTEIN/REUTERS)
US President Joe Biden points a finger as he delivers remarks on the administration's continued drawdown efforts in Afghanistan in a speech from the East Room at the White House in Washington US, July 8, 2021. (credit: EVELYN HOCKSTEIN/REUTERS)

The report also mentioned 68% of respondents said the US lost the war in Afghanistan and 49% thought former President George W. Bush held the most responsibility for the war. Of the respondents, 24% said Biden was most responsible, 18% said Barack Obama was most responsible, and 10% said Donald Trump was most responsible.