Joe poll-axed in new survey

Down big but tied with Don

President Biden would be defeated by a generic Republican if he were up for reelection now — but would best former President Donald Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Ted Cruz in head-to-head matchups, according to a poll out Wednesday.

The Politico/Morning Consult poll found Biden trailing a hypothetical GOP contender by 9 percentage points (46-37%), but eking out popular-vote wins over Trump (45-44%) and Pence (44-42%).

The survey also found that the incumbent president would easily defeat Cruz (45-39%) and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (44-39%).

Don GOP cakewalk

The poll also indicated that Trump, who was 45th president, would cruise to the GOP nomination if he opted to enter the 2024 White House race.

When asked whom they would support in a hypothetical Republican primary, 49% of voters chose Trump, with DeSantis a distant second at 14% and Pence close behind at 13%. No other potential candidate named in the poll got above 5%, while Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) — the 2012 GOP presidential nominee — garnered 4% support.

When asked whom they would back if Trump does not run — but his oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., does — 25% of voters backed DeSantis, while 24% said they would support the former first son.

Fourteen percent said they would choose “someone else” while 12% said they would support Pence.

The poll also showed that Biden remains saddled with a low favorability rating of 42%, while 56% disapprove of his performance as president, with 39% doing so “strongly.”

On the ‘wrong track’

Just over two-thirds of voters (68% ) also believe the US is on the “wrong track.”

When asked what issues were most on their minds in the November midterm elections, voters overwhelmingly chose the economy (40%).

Terrorism and border security came in second, at 14% each, followed closely by health care (13%), senior issues (10%) and women’s issues — defined as birth control, abortion and equal pay — at 6%.

Six percent of voters said they were most concerned about energy issues, including carbon emissions and the cost of gas and electricity, while 4% said education — including school standards, class size and student loans — was most important to them.

The poll surveyed 2,005 registered voters between Jan. 22 and 23 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.