Biden-Trump Polling Remains Steady
Image: Ipsos
I have already talked about the small bump for the President in Biden-Trump polling post-debate in the state of Pennsylvania. Entering the closing week of the 2020 presidential campaign, President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden’s favorability ratings remain relatively unchanged since at least the summer according to an ABC News/Ipsos poll released Sunday.
Differences From 2016
Unlike 2016 when both Trump and Hillary Clinton headed into November deeply unpopular – Trump’s favorability at 38% to 60% and Clinton’s at 42% to 56% in the final ABC News/Washington Post poll — Biden is seen significantly more favorably with his standing near even at 44% to 43%, roughly where he’s been for several months. He still has shortfalls with more men (49%), independents (48%), and white Americans (53%) viewing him unfavorably rather than favorably. Another key difference from 2016 is that only 10% of Americans said they dislike both Trump and Biden, about half the number who said the same about Trump and Clinton.
Biden-Trump Polling: Favorability
Trump’s favorability is significantly underwater in the new survey, which was conducted by Ipsos in partnership with ABC News using Ipsos’ Knowledge Panel, with more than half of Americans — including more than half of men (53%), Americans over 65 (53%), and independents (57%) — viewing him unfavorably. The president’s favorability deficit stands at minus-22 in the poll, similar to where he stood on the eve of the 2016 election.
An overwhelming 90% of Democrats have a favorable view of Biden. Fewer independents view him favorably (39%), similar to Trump (36%) among this group.
While Trump remains broadly unpopular, core blocs of Trump’s base aren’t nearly as critical of him. Fewer than half of white Americans (48%) and whites without a college degree (38%) have a negative attitude about the president.
Biden-Trump Polling: Covid-19
Over eight months of polling on the virus, Trump’s low approval on the issue has mostly held steady, except for a week in mid-March when it peaked above 50%.
In the latest survey, more than 6 in 10 Americans (61%) disapprove of the president’s response to the pandemic, while only 38% approve. It’s a stark reality for Trump, as his rival has stayed disciplined in making the coronavirus a focus of the race. Trump’s grip on Republicans remains intact though, with his favorability and approval for his handling of the pandemic in the mid-to-high 70s (74% and 79%, respectively).
Concerns over contracting the virus hold firm among 78% of Americans, including just over one-third (36%) who said they’re very concerned. Just over 1 in 5 Americans said they’re not concerned about becoming infected.
This ABC News/Ipsos poll was conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs’ KnowledgePanel® October 23-24, 2020, in English and Spanish, among a random national sample of 551 adults. Results have a margin of sampling error of 4.8 points, including the design effect. Partisan divisions are 30-26-36 percent, Democrats-Republicans-independents. See the poll’s topline results and details on the methodology here.
