A new Reuters/Ipsos poll suggests that former first lady Michelle Obama is the only Democrat who could potentially defeat former President Donald Trump in a hypothetical 2024 election. According to the poll, released on Tuesday, Obama would receive 50% of the vote compared to Trump’s 39%, with only 4% of respondents saying they would not vote.
This finding follows a February Rasmussen Reports poll, which also showed Obama as the leading choice among Democrats to replace President Joe Biden on the 2024 ticket. Despite her popularity, Obama has repeatedly stated that she does not intend to run for president.
The poll’s release comes after President Biden’s poor performance in a recent debate, where he appeared to struggle with his speech and lacked energy. This has fueled calls within the Democratic Party for Biden to step down and allow a stronger candidate to take on Trump.
Vice President Kamala Harris, in comparison, received about 40% support in a head-to-head matchup with Trump. Other Democratic candidates, such as Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, also trail behind Trump, with Whitmer down by 5 points and Newsom by 3 points.
The survey indicates that around one-third of Democrats think Biden should withdraw from the race immediately. This sentiment underscores the party’s increasing anxiety over his ability to secure a victory against Trump.
The poll, conducted online with 1,070 U.S. adults, took place from July 1st to July 2nd and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.
