Liberals won’t be happy about this!
In the eyes of NBC News’ Democratic pollster Jeff Horwitt, President Joe Biden’s administration is currently facing a precarious situation, described as “a presidency in peril.” Despite this, the Justice Department’s pursuit of former President Donald Trump presents a potential opportunity to shift the political landscape against Biden’s chief rival.
The latest NBC News national poll, released on Sunday, indicates that Trump has widened his lead over Biden by 5 points (47%-42%). However, the poll introduced a significant variable by asking registered voters if they would vote against Trump if he were convicted of a felony. This inquiry resulted in a 7-point swing, placing Biden ahead by 2 points (45%-43%) in a hypothetical scenario. Nevertheless, this outcome falls within the poll’s margin of error, essentially creating a statistical tie.
NBC’s “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker, who presided over the 2020 presidential debate and has been criticized for not allowing Trump to address allegations related to Hunter Biden’s laptop and foreign influence peddling, deemed these findings a “little bit of a game-changer.”
The political landscape has been further complicated by the perception that the U.S. is on the wrong track under Biden, with 73% of registered voters expressing this sentiment. The poll also suggests an “erosion of Biden’s standing against Trump,” emphasizing the need for the current president to make a strategic comeback, possibly relying on a conviction of Trump to bolster his chances of reelection.
Despite the challenges, NBC’s Democratic pollster, Jeff Horwitt, remains optimistic, pointing out that it is only January and not October 2024. He suggests that attitudes can shift as the electoral cycle progresses.
For Biden supporters, the prospect of a conviction against Trump becomes a focal point. Trump faces four indictments, including the 2020 election challenge and events on Jan. 6 in Washington, D.C., a classified documents case in South Florida, a 2020 election racketeering case in Fulton County, Georgia, and a 2016 election case in Manhattan. Additionally, Trump is entangled in defamation trials against E. Jean Carroll and a $370 million civil lawsuit from New York State Attorney General Letitia James.
The NBC News poll, conducted by Hart Associates and Public Opinion Strategies from Jan. 26-30 among 1,000 registered voters, underscores the fluidity of the current political landscape, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.