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Significant numbers of Americans are "uneasy" with President Donald Trump's and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's ability to deal with several major issues facing the United States.
New polling from YouGov and The Economist has shown that many voters feel uncomfortable with the ability of Biden and Trump to handle an international crisis, an economic recession, and the coronavirus outbreak. But overall, less voters are "uneasy" about the Democratic candidate's capabilities when faced with these major issues.
A majority of survey respondents said they felt uneasy about Trump's ability to handle all three issues. When it comes to an international crisis, 55 percent of voters expressed discomfort with the president's ability. On an economic recession, the amount was 51 percent. And when it came to the coronavirus outbreak, 56 percent lacked confidence in Trump's ability to respond appropriately.
Biden, who served as vice president under former President Barack Obama, faced less concern from voters overall. When it came to his ability to respond to an international crisis and an economic crisis, 47 percent of respondents expressed concern for both issues. In regards to the coronavirus outbreak, 48 percent were uneasy about Biden's ability to deal with the crisis.
Ken Farnaso, deputy press secretary for Trump's re-election campaign, dismissed the polling, as campaign officials have done repeatedly.
"Polling has consistently proved that the mainstream media, Democrats, and so-called political consultants will always underestimate President Trump's ability to connect with the American people," Farnaso said in a statement emailed to Newsweek.
"The President's proven record of success in ushering an economic renaissance, cutting taxes and red tape, creating jobs, and lifting millions of minorities out of poverty is undeniable proof that President Trump is the right man for this job," he added.
Newsweek has reached out to the Biden campaign for comment, but they had not responded as of the time of publication.
Most national polling, as well as polling in key battleground states, shows Biden as the clear front-runner for the November presidential election. But as Democrats realized in during the 2016 campaign, positive polling numbers do not necessarily translate into victory on Election Day.
Former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was double digits ahead of Trump in many national polls in mid-2016. While Clinton went on to win nearly 3 million more individual votes than Trump in the election, the president was propelled to victory in the Electoral College by a series of narrow wins in several swing states.
Polling conducted by conservative outlet Fox News from May 17 to 20 showed Biden beating Trump by 8 points. The former vice president was backed by 48 percent of respondents while the president was supported by 40 percent. Recent polling in the key battleground states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Florida, Arizona and Pennsylvania all show Biden several points ahead of Trump as well.
About the writer
Jason Lemon is a Senior Politics Editor at Newsweek based in Brooklyn, New York. Prior to taking on the editor role, Jason's reporting focused ... Read more