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Biden Plunges in Swing States in Leaked Post-Debate Poll

The president is losing critical support in key battlegrounds, according to data from a premier Democratic firm, and putting previously noncompetitive states in play. Also, for the first time, he’s polling behind Kamala Harris.

joe biden debate
While the debate may have barely registered in national data, in their surveys of key Electoral College states where voters are paying closer attention to the campaign, Biden is doing noticeably worse. Photo: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images
Peter Hamby
July 2, 2024

A confidential polling memo circulating among anxious Democrats is confirming some of their worst fears: President Joe Biden’s support has started to tumble in key electoral battlegrounds in the wake of his disastrous debate performance in Atlanta, and Biden’s diminished standing is now putting previously noncompetitive states like New Hampshire, Virginia, and New Mexico in play for Donald Trump. What’s more, Biden has taken such a reputational hit that he is polling behind other alternative Democratic candidates—including Kamala Harris and Gretchen Whitmer—in hypothetical one-on-one matchups against Trump.