President Joe Biden received poor rankings among younger voters, just four years after young people were among his strongest demographics. The bad news comes after the same poll and a spate of others gave former President Donald Trump a significant lead in November’s election.
The recent New York Times-Siena poll found that most young people disapprove of Biden’s handling of the economy. When asked about the current state of the American economy, 87% said that it was either poor or fair. This includes 60% of younger voters who said that the economy was in poor shape.
A further 13% said that the economy was good.
No statistically significant amount of young people described the economy as “excellent.”
Furthermore, Biden has lost support among younger voters in both general election polls and among specific issues.
Biden now leads Trump among young voters by 4%. However, Biden won the group by 24% in 2020.
Biden leading Trump by 4 points among young voters is not a good thing for Biden – it would be an unmitigated disaster.
In the 2020 election exit poll Biden won 18-29 year olds by 24% so being up 4 today should be setting off alarm bells for the Biden campaign. https://t.co/z2gKTtwYdQ
— The Darkest Timeline Numbersmuncher (@NumbersMuncher) February 26, 2024
Not included in the poll was information about other demographic groups. Biden’s approval among Muslim Americans has fallen significantly since the war between Israel and Hamas began last October. Muslim and Arab American leaders tied Biden together with some statements in favor of Israel.
Polls of young people also show that Biden’s position on the war in the Middle East runs counter to theirs. While Biden has made some pro-Israel comments, recent polls show that more 18-29-year-old voters support the Palestinian cause over Israel.
In addition, other polls have shown that Biden has lost considerable ground among Black voters. Should the president continue to bleed support from Black and Muslim voters, states such as Michigan and Pennsylvania could increasingly come into play.
Most national polls have placed the former president ahead of Biden. In addition, Trump has led in most swing states that will likely decide the Electoral College results.
The same New York Times-Siena poll has also shown Trump leading the president by 5% and making inroads with other groups that traditionally vote for Democrats.
