MATTINGLY: We have brand-new CNN polling this morning, and the numbers are rough for President Biden. It could spell trouble for Democrats and the president's hopes for reelection in 2024. Still early, but Biden's approval rating has sunk to 39 percent. Nearly 60 percent of voters think Biden's policies are making the economy worse. Close to 70 percent of Democrats want somebody else to run for president. And the president's approval among Democratic voters, that's slipping.
HARLOW: Now, these are all very troubling for the White House. This new CNN poll shows no clear winner between President Biden and nearly all of the leading Republican presidential candidates in these theoretical matchups, except for Nikki Haley, who leads President Biden by 6 points. Donald Trump, 1 point ahead of Biden.
One point ahead. One point.
And Biden won't even be the nominee.
Ed Morrissey writes that CNN is actually underselling the bad news here -- because it isn't just Biden's job approval that's low.
Voters also don't like him as a person.
Perceptions of Biden personally are also broadly negative, with 58% saying they have an unfavorable impression of him. Fewer than half of Americans, 45%, say that Biden cares about people like them, with only 33% describing him as someone theyre proud to have as president. A smaller share of the public than ever now says that Biden inspires confidence (28%, down 7 percentage points from March) or that he has the stamina and sharpness to serve effectively as president (26%, down 6 points from March), with those declines driven largely by Democrats and independents.
Former Obama online astroturf manager Jim Messina calls Democrats having second thoughts about Biden "fVcking bedwetters."
"I thought it was important to say to my friends and clients and other people, let's just take a step back and try to be really number-specific and really sort of who has what cards in their poker hand," Messina told Playbook. "And you would just rather be Joe Biden than Donald Trump."
"Historically, we're fucking bedwetters," he added. "We grew up in the '80s and '90s when Republicans won elections all the time. Democrats had their hearts deeply broken when HILLARY [CLINTON] lost and people didn't see that coming. And so, you know, we continually believe every bad thing people say."
Professional racist Van Jones disagrees, and points out that whether CNN and the professional cadre of Democrat staffers (but I repeat myself) want to admit it or not, people are in fact having discussions about Joe Biden's advanced age and his obvious inability to continue in the job.
He even seems to make a jab about Biden's age by parrying Messina's talk of "bedwetters" by saying it may be time to put on your "Depends" -- diapers for older people.
Trump surrogate Ric Grennell says that Biden will be replaced at the national convention, by a sudden darkhorse nominee that the Republicans aren't even prepared to run against.
The name offered here is Gretchen Whitmer.
But it could be anyone.
Trump surrogate Ric Grennell also says that Ron DeSantis is running a "homophobic" campaign because he's too tough on transgender ideology and gay porn in schools.
So I'm glad we'll be nominating the gay- and trans-friendly candidate.
It has long been my fear that Trump, unable to moderate his personality, would instead moderate his positions to "appeal to the middle."
And here's his paid surrogate Ric Grennell knocking Trump's most hated rival as being too hard on transgenderism.
Meanwhile, Trump says he "wasn't allowed" to fire Anthony Fauci.
Sure.
He also claims that he didn't do "some" of the things Anthony Fauci demanded.
"First of all, you're not allowed. He's civil service, and you're not allowed to fire him. But forget that, because I don't necessarily go by everything. But Dr. Fauci would tell me things, and I wouldn't do them, in many cases," Trump responded. "But also, he wasn't a big player in my administration. Dr. Fauci became a big player in the administration of Biden."
Okay, Imma let you finish, but I just wanted to say: