President Joe Biden stepped up his criticism of former President Donald Trump last week, saying that he was “unhinged.” The war of words comes as the former president gained in a number of recent polls while Biden received negative ratings on key issues from the general public.
The president said that “something snapped” in Trump.
“He’s not only obsessed with losing in 2020, he’s clearly unhinged. Just listen to what he’s telling people,” Biden said.
Biden’s words came as the former president led in a number of national polls and those in swing states that will likely decide the 2024 election. In particular, Trump appears to be winning in most polls of the swing states Biden carried four years ago.
In addition, recent polls have also shown that Trump is more trusted on a number of issues prioritized by Americans.
An ABC News/Ipsos poll from earlier this month showed that Trump received higher ratings on several key issues.
“On the question of whom voters trust more to deal with the economy, Trump has a 22-point lead over Biden. This marks a 15-point bump for Trump compared to the same poll in 2020.”https://t.co/dZ6f2NV3Kw
— Frank Luntz (@FrankLuntz) May 12, 2024
On the topic of the economy, Trump led Biden in public trust by 14%. Regarding immigration issues, Trump received 47% of the public’s trust as compared to 30% for Biden. The former president was also more highly rated on the topic of inflation, edging a 14% lead over Biden.
Regarding the country’s standing in the world, Trump led by 7%. The former president also led on the wider issue of crime, with 41% expressing trust in him and 33% for Biden. Trump also received an 8% advantage over Biden regarding the current conflict in the Middle East.
When voters were asked about the attributes of the individual candidates, Trump also held a large lead on the topics of health. On the topic of mental sharpness, Trump led by an almost two-to-one margin, with 42% choosing Trump to 23% for Biden. Regarding physical health, Trump had a similar lead, with 42% choosing him and just 20% selecting Biden.
Despite the recent polling results, Biden said that his campaign felt “good about the state of the race, but we know the race is close.”
