The race for the presidency continues to be a close contest between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, as per the latest poll conducted by the New York Times and Siena College. The poll reveals a split of 46% for Trump and 45% for Biden among registered voters nationwide, indicating no clear front-runner in the race.
This represents a tighter race than the previous Times/Siena survey conducted in late-February, where Trump had a 5-point lead. However, it aligns with the current CNN Poll of Polls average, which shows an equal support of 48% for each candidate, incorporating the new poll. The last Times/Siena poll showed an average of 48% for Trump and 46% for Biden, suggesting a slight shift in the overall perception of the race since early March.
The survey also reveals a consistent public sentiment about the state of the country. A significant majority of voters (64%) believe that the US is heading in the wrong direction. Biden’s approval rating remains low (38% approve, 59% disapprove), and the economy’s ratings are predominantly negative with 79% rating the economic conditions as fair or poor.
As Biden prepares for a campaign swing through the battleground state of Pennsylvania, he aims to highlight his economic plans, focusing on his intent to raise taxes for the wealthiest Americans and corporations. His team continues to spotlight the economy’s bright spots, such as low unemployment, wage gains, and a downward trend in inflation.
Conversely, Trump, who recently raised $50.5 million at a Florida fundraiser, has emphasized his plans to extend the tax cuts approved by congressional Republicans in 2017. Trump, expected to participate in a campaign rally and donor event in Pennsylvania on Saturday, will also have to balance his campaign efforts with his upcoming criminal hush money trial set to begin on Monday.
More broadly, the poll indicates that 54% of respondents believe that Trump has committed serious federal crimes, while 37% believe he has not, a sentiment that remains unchanged from the February Times/Siena poll.