MSNBC data expert Steve Kornacki said Tuesday that four potential successors to former President Donald Trump have higher approval ratings than President Joe Biden.
Biden was criticized by Democrats for repeatedly stuttering during Thursday night's CNN debate, which Kornacki reviewed for CNN. vote It found Biden trailing Trump by six points, but Vice President Kamala Harris trailing Biden by just two points. (RELATED: 'Here's the problem': MSNBC data expert explains Democrats' obstacles to replacing Biden)
“First, the CNN poll. It's a new one, it just came out this afternoon,” Kornacki told MSNBC host Chris Jansing. “Trump is leading nationally 49% to 43%, a six-point lead over Joe Biden. Now, a couple of things to say about this poll. First, the last time CNN polled this race was a few months ago, in April. What did they say in April? They actually had the same numbers. So from that standpoint, the CNN numbers are obviously unchanged from before, but the six-point lead in every poll that shows Trump is pretty much in line with the lead we're seeing for Trump in the polls that are out now and in the polls that have been out in the past.”
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MSNBC data expert says Biden is polling worst against Trump than Kamala Harris and three other Democrats pic.twitter.com/oj29lmvqRf
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“Also, when the 49-43 number came out in April, a lot of people looked at it and said it must be an outlier because it was so different from other polls,” Kornacki continued. “You know, when you do polls, sometimes outliers happen, like statistical anomalies. Every once in a while, you get a result that's off by a few points. But when that happens, you expect that to be corrected in the next poll. And to see this replicated now, with a poll coming out with the same result by six points twice, especially given the fact that this six-point lead for Trump was after a debate performance, followed by criticism and doubts about Biden, this suggests that there may be something more than an outlier at work.”
The CNN poll also tested Trump against Harris, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, California Governor Gavin Newsom and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, both Democrats. Trump led Harris 47% to 45%, Buttigieg 47% to 43%, Newsom 48% to 43% and Whitmer 47% to 42%. (Related: 'A monumental conundrum': Paul Begala warns of 'career-ending' spree as first Democratic politician to call for Biden's resignation)
“This is especially true because CNN also polled Trump versus Kamala Harris. What happens if Kamala Harris replaces Joe Biden?,” Kornacki said. “Look again. Trump vs. Biden is 49-43. Against Harris it's 47-45. That means Biden is down six points, while Harris is down two points. In fact, CNN surveyed four other Democrats who oppose Trump besides Joe Biden, and Biden's six-point lead is the worst of the four candidates. Here's the CNN poll.”
Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas called on Biden to resign in a statement on Tuesday.
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