NEW POLL: Biden Crushes DeSantis and Trump in 3-Way Field – But DeSantis Runs Ahead of Trump
L: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images – R: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
President Joe Biden crushes Ron DeSantis and former President Donald Trump by up to 21 points in a 3-way field — but DeSantis runs ahead of Trump in that scenario, and runs better against Biden head-to-head.
It’s late August, when people in the news and politics business have kind of a lot of time on their hands to ponder things like “What if there was a three-way presidential race between Biden, Trump, and DeSantis?”
That’s the scenario that was imagined in a new YouGov poll released this week.
Respondents were asked “If the 2024 presidential election were held today between the following candidates, who would you vote for?”
Among registered voters, 44 percent responded “Joe Biden, the Democrat,” a full 21 points ahead of the runner-up.
That second position is very interesting, with 23 percent responding “Ron DeSantis, the Republican” — a full five points higher than the 18 percent who responded “Donald Trump, running as an Independent.”
In head-to-head contests, things are much closer.
Among registered voters, Biden beats Trump 45% to 40%, while DeSantis trails Biden by three points, 43% to 40%.
Political conditions for Biden have improved somewhat over the course of this summer. Gas prices — a major driver of inflation — have fallen sharply, the January 6 committee has put on a series of blockbuster hearings, Attorney General Merrick Garland’s investigation into January 6 has heated up, and Biden and the Democrats have notched a series of legislative wins.
And many analysts observe a shift toward Democrats following the Supreme Court ruling effectively overturning Roe v. Wade with a 5-4 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
Less clear at this point is the effect that fallout from the FBI search of Trump’s Mar-a-lago resort home and the related Espionage Act investigation will have on the midterms. It doesn’t seem to have impacted polls, but could end up having a rallying effect on turnout.
