Trump has a six point lead over Biden, says WSJ poll

Washington: Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump has developed a six per cent lead over his Democratic rival incumbent Joe Biden with 80 percent saying that the current White House occupant is too old to run for a second term, according to a latest poll by The Wall Street Journal.

The Wall Street Journal said Trump’s lead over Biden in a two-person matchup, 48 per cent to 42 per cent is the widest in Journal surveys dating to late 2021 and compares with a 2-point lead in February.

The new survey began interviewing voters two days after the debate with Trump that left Democrats panicked about the 81-year-old president’s possible cognitive decline and their party’s weakening election prospects in November, the daily reported.

A notably weak debate performance from Biden in Atlanta on Thursday has raised questions  among Democrats if the president should continue his campaign, with polls taken after the debate showing Trump making gains.

A sizable 80 percent of respondents — and 76 percent of Democrats — said Biden, 81 years old, is too old to be reelected. Two thirds of respondents said they want him replaced by another Democratic candidate.

Vice President Harris has been a top target of Democrats who have called on Biden to bow out of the presidential race, though she has backed  Biden publicly.

Nearly half, 47 percent, also said they want both Biden and Trump replaced by their respective parties, and 53 percent said they are not enthusiastic about either candidate.

When third-party candidates were included in the poll, Trump’s lead fell to 6 percent.

The Wall Street Journal poll surveyed about 1,500 registered voters between June 29 and July 2, with a margin of error of 2.5 percent.