In a series of hypothetical matchups between President Joe Biden and some of the Republican Party’s top presidential contenders, Biden holds an advantage in most cases — except for when he’s facing former President Donald Trump.
In a one-on-one matchup between Biden and Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, the president bests his GOP challenger 40% to 37%, according to recent polling from Emerson College. In that scenario, 12% of voters say they would choose someone else, and another 11% remain undecided.
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However, in a hypothetical rematch between Biden and Trump, the former president appears to have the upper hand. About 46% of voters say they would vote for Trump compared to 42% who said the same for Biden, according to the poll. Seven percent of voters said they would choose someone else, and another 5% remain undecided.
When faced against Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), who is considered to be a top GOP contender behind Trump, 44% of voters say they’d back Biden compared to just 40% who say the same for the Republican governor, the poll shows. Roughly 9% say they would back another candidate, and another 8% remain undecided.
The polling comes as the Republican primary field begins to take shape, with Trump, Haley, and Vivek Ramaswamy already launching their White House bids in recent months. The candidate pool is set to grow increasingly crowded and is expected to include DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), among others.
Biden has not yet announced his run for reelection, leaving Democrats on edge as they consider the future of their party. However, first lady Jill Biden told the Associated Press over the weekend that she expects her husband to run again in 2024, noting, “He’s not finished what he’s started.”
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A majority of Democratic voters have expressed support for Biden to run for reelection, with 71% of the party saying he should be the party’s nominee in 2024, according to the poll. That support is highest among young voters, particularly those under 35.
The Emerson College poll surveyed 1,060 voters between Feb. 24-25 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.