A new Reuters/Ipsos poll finds that U.S. voters consider Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump the better candidate for the economy, but prefer his Democratic rival President Joe Biden’s approach to preserving democracy.
The three-day survey, which concluded Sunday, found that less than five months before the Nov. 5 election, voters are divided over the candidates’ approaches to what respondents say are the two most pressing problems facing the country.
Biden’s approval rating, measured among all respondents in the poll, rose marginally to 37% from 36% in May, when it matched the lowest reading of his presidency. Many Democrats worry Biden could face voter concerns about his age — at 81 he is the oldest U.S. president to take office — and disapproval within his party over his support of Israel’s war against Hamas.
When asked which of the two candidates had a better outlook for the economy — the No. 1 concern for respondents — registered voters chose Trump by 43% to 37%. Voters have been upset about rapidly rising consumer prices for several years, though inflation has eased significantly in recent months and the unemployment rate has been below 4% for more than two years.
On immigration, Republicans had a stronger advantage, 44% to 31%. The number of immigrants in the country in 2022 was 13.9%, the highest in more than a century. Trump has targeted immigrants living in the country illegally. On foreign conflicts and terrorism, Trump was preferred by 40% to 35%.
But Biden had an edge over Trump in addressing political extremism and threats to democracy, which was respondents’ second concern, with registered voters choosing the Democrat over Trump by a margin of 39% to 33%.
Trump, who was convicted last month on criminal charges of falsifying business records, is awaiting three more criminal trials, two of them related to his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Biden. Trump, who falsely claims his 2020 election loss was due to fraud, included the claim in a fiery speech just before hundreds of his supporters stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Biden also had an edge over Trump on healthcare policy — 40% to 29%. Biden was vice president in 2010 when then-President Barack Obama pushed a landmark healthcare reform through Congress that dramatically expanded access to health insurance.
Previous Reuters/Ipsos polls had shown a close contest between Biden and Trump in the presidential race, though several surveys in battleground states in recent months have shown Trump ahead.
The poll, conducted nationwide and online by Reuters/Ipsos, polled 1,019 U.S. adults, including 856 registered voters. It had a margin of error of 3.2 percentage points for all respondents and 3.5 percentage points for registered voters.
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