Former President Donald Trump leads President Joe Biden by 1 point in a head-to-head rematch of the 2020 election, according to the latest Emerson College Polling results.
Trump earns 46% support and Biden gets 45% in the January Emerson poll. In December, the former president led Biden 47% to 43%.
With third-party candidates Robert Kennedy Jr., Cornel West, and Jill Stein added to the ballot, Trump's lead over Biden increases to 2 points (41% to 39%). Kennedy receives 5% support, while Stein and West each get 1%.
In a hypothetical matchup between Biden, Trump, and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Trump's lead expands to 5 points over Biden (42% to 37%), with 12% backing Haley and 10% undecided.
In a hypothetical matchup between Biden and Haley, the former South Carolina governor leads 38%-37%, with 25% of voters saying they're undecided.
"Haley's strong performance among certain demographics in New Hampshire, such as college-educated and older voters, does not appear to translate to the same level of support nationally," said Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling.
"While she holds 30% support among college-educated voters nationally, Trump commands about 58%. Among voters over 50, Haley garners 21% support, while Trump enjoys 73%."
Trump currently is the clear front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination after winning the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary.
Emerson results released Tuesday show that 73% of Republican primary voters support Trump as their 2024 nominee, while 19% support Haley.
Asked whether Haley should stay in the race or drop out, 53% of Republican voters say she should drop out, and 34% say she should stay in the race. Another 13% are neutral.
Voters most concerned about the economy support Trump over Biden 52%-36%, and those most concerned about immigration support Trump over Biden 81% to 14%.
In the Democratic Party primary, 72% of voters say they support Biden, 4% back Dean Phillips, and 4% support Marianne Williamson. A total of 19% say they are undecided.
"Biden has successfully strengthened his support among Democratic primary voters, with undecided voters decreasing from 30% to 19% and his share of support increasing from 63% to 72%," Kimball said.
The Emerson poll found that Biden's job approval increased 1 point to 42%, while his disapproval rating improved 5 points, going from 51% to 46%.
"Biden's approval among independent voters has seen a 4-point improvement since December, rising from 33% to 37%," Kimball said. "Although still underwater, this reflects a positive shift. Additionally, his disapproval among independents has decreased from 52% to 45%."
The Emerson College Polling survey was conducted Jan. 26-29 among 1,260 of registered voters. It has a margin of error of plus-minus 2.7 percentage points.
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Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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