The 5 top Democrats are killing Trump nationally in a new Washington Post/ABC News poll

The top five Democratic presidential candidates all lead President Trump by significant, growing margins among registered voters and American adults a year before the 2020 election, according to a Washington Post/ABC News poll released Tuesday. Former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) trounce Trump by 17 percentage points, 15 points, and 14 points, respectively, among registered voters.
All Democrats included in the poll — Biden, Warren, Sanders, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) — have steadily improved their standing over Trump since July.
Trump, hindered by a 39 percent approval rating, has lost most ground among independents, who account for most of the shift toward the Democratic candidates. Polls of the handful of swing states that will likely decide the election have shown a much tighter race, though if any Democrat actually beat Trump by double digits, they would almost certainly win both the popular vote and Electoral College. A year before the 2016 election, a Post/ABC News poll had Hillary Clinton leading Trump by 12 points among all adults but only by 3 points among registered voters, ABC News notes.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Trump is facing a slightly fractured Republican Party, the poll found: Only 80 percent of Republicans back him, while 16 percent of GOP-leaning voters say they would vote for Biden, and 30 percent of Republican and GOP-leaners say they wish the party would nominate someone other than Trump. But Democrats face their own fissures: Just over a third of 18- to 29-year-olds say they might sit out 2020 if Biden or Warren is the nominee, while 22 percent say the same of Sanders.
The Washington Post/ABC News poll was conducted by phone Oct. 27-30 among 1,003 adults, including 876 registered voters. The margin of sampling errors for all adults is ±3.5 percentage points and for registered voters, ±4 points.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
5 illuminating podcasts you may have missed this winter
The Week Recommends An in-depth look at online scamming mills, how a family deals with conspiracy theories and more
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
'The Postal Service has bound our nation together'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
ICE arrests Palestinian advocate with green card
Speed Read Recent Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil has had his visa revoked, despite his status as a permanent resident
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
ICE arrests Palestinian advocate with green card
Speed Read Recent Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil has had his visa revoked, despite his status as a permanent resident
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump doesn't rule out recession as tariffs bite
Speed Read In an interview for Fox News, Trump acknowledges the economic turbulence caused by his tariffs but claims his policies will be worth it in the long run
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Mark Carney selected next Canadian prime minister
Speed Read The political novice will succeed outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump eases Mexico, Canada tariffs again as markets slide
speed read The president suspended some of the 25% tariffs he imposed on Mexican and Canadian imports
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump tells Cabinet they are in charge of layoffs, not Musk
Speed Read The White House has faced mounting complaints about DOGE's sweeping cuts
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Rep. Sylvester Turner dies, weeks after joining House
Speed Read The former Houston mayor and longtime state legislator left behind a final message for Trump: 'Don't mess with Medicaid'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump pauses Ukraine intelligence sharing
Speed Read The decision is intended to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy into peace negotiations with Vladimir Putin
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Supreme Court rules against Trump on aid freeze
Speed Read The court rejected the president's request to freeze nearly $2 billion in payments for foreign humanitarian work
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published