Trump supporters are a lot more enthusiastic than Biden backers, poll shows


Despite some heavy criticism over how his administration has handled the novel coronavirus pandemic, polls continue to deliver good news for President Trump.
A new survey from The Washington Post and ABC News shows Trump is neck-and-neck with former Vice President Joe Biden, the favorite to win the Democratic nomination, months ahead of November's general election. Back in February, before the pandemic enveloped the United States emotionally and physically, Biden was leading in the same poll by seven percentage points. That lead has dwindled to two and, when considering the margin of error, places the two candidates in an effective tie.
Trump outpaces Biden among registered voters when it boils down to whom voters trust more to handle the coronavirus outbreak, although, similar to Biden's overall lead, the difference is statistically insignificant. Where they do separate from one another is on their prospective management of health care and the economy. Biden gets better marks in the former category, while Trump has a healthy lead in the latter.
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.
Another possible area of worry for Biden is the apparent lack of enthusiasm among his supporters. Only 24 percent of his supporters say they are "very enthusiastic" about backing him.
The Washington Post-ABC News poll was conducted over the phone between March 22-25, surveying 1,003 adults and 845 registered voters. The margin of error was 3.5 percentage points. Read more at The Washington Post.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
Delivery drivers face continuing heat danger with Trump's OSHA pick
The Explainer David Keeling is the former head of UPS and also worked at Amazon
-
Is that the buzzing sound of climate change worsening sleep apnea?
Under the radar Catching diseases, not those ever-essential Zzs
-
Crossword: July 3, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
-
Thai court suspends prime minister over leaked call
Speed Read Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended, pending an ethics investigation
-
Senate passes GOP megabill after Alaska side deal
The pivotal yes vote came from Sen. Lisa Murkowski, whose support was secured following negotiated side deals for her home state Alaska
-
Trump sues LA over immigration policies
Speed Read He is suing over the city's sanctuary law, claiming it prevents local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities
-
Obama, Bush and Bono eulogize USAID on final day
Speed Read The US Agency for International Development, a humanitarian organization, has been gutted by the Trump administration
-
The last words and final moments of 40 presidents
The Explainer Some are eloquent quotes worthy of the holders of the highest office in the nation, and others... aren't
-
Senate advances GOP bill that costs more, cuts more
Speed Read The bill would make giant cuts to Medicaid and food stamps, leaving 11.8 million fewer people with health coverage
-
Canadian man dies in ICE custody
Speed Read A Canadian citizen with permanent US residency died at a federal detention center in Miami
-
GOP races to revise megabill after Senate rulings
Speed Read A Senate parliamentarian ruled that several changes to Medicaid included in Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" were not permissible