Donald Trump holds a four-point lead over President Joe Biden ahead of their first debate of the 2024 campaign, according to a New York Times/Siena College poll released Wednesday.
In a previous poll from April, the candidates were nearly tied, but the latest results show Trump polling at 48 percent among likely voters, while Biden trails at 44 percent.
The poll, conducted after Trump’s conviction in a hush-money case in New York City, revealed mixed voter reactions to the verdict. Nineteen percent of registered voters said it would make them less likely to vote for Trump, 11 percent said it would make them more likely, and 68 percent said it would make no difference. Forty-six percent approved of the verdict, while 30 percent disapproved.
Fundraising efforts indicate increasing support for Trump. By the end of May, Trump’s campaign had $116.6 million in the bank, compared to Biden’s $91.6 million. Notably, Biden’s campaign experienced its single biggest day of online fundraising on May 31, raising $8.1 million, the day after Trump was convicted. told by Politico.
Among likely voters, 55 percent believe Trump has committed serious crimes, while 39 percent do not, according to the poll.
In May, Trump became the first former president to be convicted of a felony, found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to a porn star.
Poll results also indicate voter dissatisfaction with the presumed nominees for the 2024 election. Sixty-one percent of respondents believe there should be a different Democratic nominee, and 54 percent think there should be a different Republican nominee from The Hill.
Interest in the upcoming debate is high, with 77 percent of respondents intending to watch, while 19 percent said they would not. Trump has been actively campaigning in various cities, whereas Biden has been at Camp David since Thursday preparing for the debate.
The New York Times/Siena College poll surveyed 1,226 registered voters from June 20-25, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
