A Quinnipiac Poll released Wednesday showed Joe Biden (D) leading President Trump nationally by double-digits, widening his lead over the last month.
The survey showed the former vice president leading Trump 52 percent to 37 percent — up from the eight-point lead he saw in Quinnipiac’s June 18 poll.
While the survey attributed Biden’s widening lead to independent voters, who back the Democrat Party’s presumptive nominee by 17 points (51 percent to 34 percent), a closer look at the survey’s sample reveals that Republicans were undersampled. Quinnipiac surveyed 1,273 self-identified registered voters across the country. Republicans only made up 24 percent of the respondents, while Democrats and independents comprised 34 percent each.
The survey also showed Biden overtaking Trump on confidence in handling the economy, which has traditionally remained a strong point for the president:
Voters now choose Biden 50 percent to 45 percent on doing a “better job handling the economy, a reversal from June when Trump held a slight lead 51 – 46 percent.”
Trump’s approval on the economy also took a turn for the worse, with 44 percent approving and 53 disapproving. Last month, the president enjoyed a positive approval rating on the economy, 52 percent to 45 percent.
“Today’s numbers are his worst net score on the economy since August of 2017,” Quinnipiac noted.
The survey also found Biden leading on several issues, like health care and the coronavirus response:
On handling a crisis, Biden leads 57 – 38 percent;
* On handling health care, Biden leads 58 – 35 percent;
* On the coronavirus response, Biden leads 59 – 35 percent;
* On addressing racial inequality, Biden leads 62 – 30 percent.
Trump, however, garnered negative approvals on a host of issues:
On handling the military, voters give the president a negative 41 – 51 percent approval.
On handling foreign policy, voters give the president a negative 37 – 59 percent approval.
On handling health care, voters give the president a negative 35 – 59 percent approval.
On handling race relations, voters give the president a negative 31 – 65 percent approval.
Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy said the survey provided a “very unpleasant real-time look at what the future could be for President Trump.”
“There is no upside, no silver lining, no encouraging trend hidden somewhere in this survey for the president,” he said.
The survey, taken July 9-13, has a margin of error of +/- 2.8 percent.
Notably, a Quinnipiac Poll from August 2016 showed Clinton dominating Trump by double-digits as well.
“We are starting to hear the faint rumblings of a Hillary Clinton landslide as her 10-point lead is further proof that Donald Trump is in a downward spiral as the clock ticks,” Malloy said at the time.
“Trump’s missteps, stumbles and gaffes seem to outweigh Clinton’s shaky trust status and perceived shady dealings,” he added. “Wow, is there any light at the end of this dark and depressing chapter in American politics?”