Trump edges Biden by 1 point in new national poll

Former President Trump edged out President Biden in a new national poll by 1 point.

The Emerson College survey, released Thursday, found 46 percent of voters support the former president, compared to Biden’s 45 percent. Roughly 8 percent of respondents said they were undecided ahead of the November’s general election.

Trump’s razor-thin lead is within the margin of error, however.

When undecided voters were asked who they would lean toward between the two candidates, Trump picked up an extra point; the former president garnered 51 percent, while Biden got 49 percent, according to the poll.

With third-party candidates looped in, Trump still maintained a slim lead because the percentage of undecided voters took a dip, the survey shows.

In that instance, Trump received 43 percent compared to Biden’s 42 percent support. Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. brought in 8 percent. Another 6 percent said they were undecided, while independent candidate Cornell West and Green Party candidate Jill Stein each got 1 percent, per the poll.

While Trump holds the lead among registered voters, Biden beat out the former president with likely voters, getting 51 percent to Trump’s 49 percent. 

“This defies conventional wisdom, challenging the notion that Trump supporters are more energized,” said Spencer Kimbell, executive director of Emerson College Polling. “This marks the initial inclusion of a general election voting intention question in the Emerson Poll this election cycle.” 

Trump holds a slim lead among independent voters, garnering 44 percent to Biden’s 41 percent, while 14 percent remained undecided. When third-party candidates were factored in, the former president keeps his 3-point lead over Biden, while Kennedy rises to 10 percent, per the poll. 

Biden’s approval rating in the survey was at 40 percent, while 51 percent said they disapproved of his job as president. Roughly 9 percent of respondents said they were neutral on the president.

The top issue for voters in the survey was the economy at 35 percent. Immigration came in second with 22 percent, followed by threats to democracy at 13 percent, health care at 7 percent and crime at 6 percent. 

The Emerson College Polling national survey was conducted Tuesday and Wednesday among 1,438 registered voters. The margin of error is 2.5 percentage points.

Updated at 8:42 a.m.