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.
-
Global court issues arrest warrant for Netanyahu
Speed Read The International Criminal Court issued warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who stand accused of war crimes
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Gaetz bows out, Trump pivots to Pam Bondi
Speed Read Gaetz withdrew from attorney generation consideration, making way for longtime Trump loyalist Pam Bondi
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
GOP's Mace seeks federal anti-trans bathroom ban
Speed Read Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina has introduced legislation to ban transgender people from using federal facilities
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Ukraine fires ATACMS, Russia ups hybrid war
Speed Read Ukraine shot U.S.-provided long-range missiles and Russia threatened retaliation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
New York DA floats 4-year Trump sentencing freeze
Speed Read President-elect Donald Trump's sentencing is on hold, and his lawyers are pushing to dismiss the case while he's in office
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Wyoming judge strikes down abortion, pill bans
Speed Read The judge said the laws — one of which was a first-in-the-nation prohibition on the use of medication to end pregnancy — violated the state's constitution
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US sanctions Israeli West Bank settler group
Speed Read The Biden administration has imposed sanctions on Amana, Israel's largest settlement development organization
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Gaetz ethics report in limbo as sex allegations emerge
Speed Read A lawyer representing two women alleges that Matt Gaetz paid them for sex, and one witnessed him having sex with minor
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published