Poll: Buttigieg Trails Trump in Potential 2024 Face‑Off
By Jake Beardslee ·
July 3, 2024
Recent speculation about potential Democratic nominees, should President Joe Biden withdraw from the 2024 race, has brought Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg into focus. However, a new poll suggests he would face an uphill battle against former President Donald Trump.
Following Biden's controversial performance at the CNN debate in Atlanta, where he appeared to struggle with coherent responses and vocal issues, some Democrats have called for alternative candidates. The progressive think tank Data for Progress conducted a poll to gauge how other Democrats might perform against Trump. Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America / Wikimedia
Among the 1,011 likely voters surveyed, 47% said they would vote for Trump in a hypothetical match-up with Buttigieg, while 44% favored Buttigieg. Nine percent remained undecided. Jack Gruber/USA TODAY / USA TODAY NETWORK
Interestingly, despite trailing in the head-to-head poll, Buttigieg maintained a +2 net-favorable view among respondents, compared to Trump's -11 net-unfavorable rating. This discrepancy appears to be driven by strong Democratic disapproval of Trump. Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America / Wikimedia
Buttigieg has not publicly addressed the speculation about replacing Biden. Instead, he has reaffirmed his support for the president, retweeting Biden's statement: "Folks, I know I'm not a young man, but I know how to do this job." @PeteButtigieg / X
Other potential Democratic replacements mentioned include Vice President Kamala Harris, California Governor Gavin Newsom, former First Lady Michelle Obama, and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. However, Biden would need to voluntarily withdraw and release his delegates for any alternative candidate to be nominated at the Democratic Convention in August. Vanessa Abbitt/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK
Despite calls from some quarters for Biden to step aside, the president's inner circle, including family members and close advisers, has dismissed any suggestion of his withdrawal from the race following a weekend gathering at Camp David, the Associated Press reported. Jack Gruber, Jack Gruber / USA TODAY NETWORK
As the 2024 election approaches, the Democratic Party faces the challenge of uniting behind a candidate who can effectively challenge Trump, should he secure the Republican nomination. Jack Gruber, Jack Gruber / USA TODAY NETWORK
