The U.S. economy under President Donald Trump is reaching its highest ratings in almost two decades, earning high marks from both Republicans and Democrats in a new CNN poll.
CNN's survey also revealed that the race is tightening between Trump and the top four Democrats for the nomination to run against him in 2020.
The poll, conducted by SSRS on Dec. 12-15 among 1,005 adults, showed 76% across the board rate economic conditions in the U.S. today as very or somewhat good, reports CNN. At this time last year, 67% rated the economy good. The current numbers are the highest since February 2001, when 80% had a favorable opinion of the economy.
Almost all Republicans polled said economic conditions are good right now:
- 97% of Republicans gave the economy high marks.
- 75% of independents said the economy is good.
- 62% of Democrats ranked the economy good.
In addition, 68% said they expect the economy to be in good shape a year from now, marking the best outlook in CNN's polls since December 2003. The finding includes 63% who say the economy is good now and will stay good and 9% who said the economy is good now but will be worse in 2020.
The poll also showed the matchups between the top Democratic candidates and Trump are tightening.
In October, four of the top candidates were leading Trump by anywhere from 6-10 percentage points, but now, just two were ahead by at or above the poll's sampling error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points:
- Joe Biden: 49% to 44%.
- Bernie Sanders: 49% to 45%.
- Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg: Each running evenly with Trump.
CNN's poll was conducted before the House's votes to impeach Trump on Wednesday and the Democrats' sixth primary debate Thursday.
Across the battleground states, where the presidential race was decided by 8 points or less in 2016, two of the four Democrats above were within the margin of error against Trump:
- Biden and Trump, 47% each.
- Trump ahead of Warren, 48% to 46%.
- Trump ahead of Buttigieg, 48% to 43%.
- Trump ahead of Sanders, 49% to 45%.
Meanwhile, Biden's favorable rating dropped for the first time in CNN's polling since 2015, while Trump's has run steadily since October:
- Biden: 39% favorable, 47% unfavorable.
- Sanders: 43% favorable, 44% unfavorable.
- Warren: 34% favorable, 43% unfavorable.
- Trump: 43% favorable, 53% unfavorable.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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