US presidential Elections2024: An assassination bid on Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump may have turned the tables on Democrat candidate Joe Biden, who is seeking a second term as President of the United States of America in the November elections.
Democrat candidate and US President Joe Biden, 81, has been under pressure seeking his removal as the candidate increases. Biden lost Hollywood actor and supporter George Clooney, who ratcheted the pressure on the US President’s re-election bid in a column calling on him to drop out, just weeks after holding a glitzy presidential fundraiser.
Let’s take a detailed look
War in Ukraine, Gaza
Since Russia began its ‘special military operation’ in 2022 thus exacerbating the conflict, the Joe Biden’s US has been allocating funds to support Ukraine. Moreover, the US persists in providing increased arms, ammunition, and financial aid to Benjamin Netanyahu’s Israel since the October 2023, despite their actions resulting in the deaths of thousands and displacement of hundreds of thousands in Gaza.
In turn. this has earned the commoner’s ire for Joe Biden in US.
Further calling Ukraine’s Zelenskyy as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Vice President Kamala Harris as Donald Trump may have only added to his mounting woes ahead of the November elections.
Gun Violence in US
Despite President Biden’s vocal stance against gun violence in America, the attempted assassination of Donald Trump shifted focus away from Democratic internal struggles post-debate, the GOP’s governing plans, and even Trump’s legal issues. Instead, concerns about political violence and national stability became the primary focus.
President Joe Biden is set to be formally nominated by fellow Democrats for a second term in a virtual vote scheduled for late July ahead of the party’s national convention.
Additional remarks such from Biden against Donald Trump such as ‘want to put a bulls eye on him’ and tweets advocating for policies like banning assault weapons and implementing universal background checks, which contrasted Trump’s stance supported by the NRA, further positioned Biden at a disadvantage in comparison to Trump.
Debate Debacle
The debate that was widely termed as ‘disastrous’ only put Biden in a greater disadvantage than he already was. Biden produced the weakest performance since John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon started the tradition of televised debates in 1960.
By the time the aged rivals slipped into a bitter debate about who was the best golfer, it was not hard to understand why voters have long told pollsters that they want no part of the choice they have been offered this year.
Business community rushes to endorse Trump
Following the news of an attempted assassination on Republican candidate Donald Trump, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and the world’s wealthiest individual, promptly declared his endorsement for the Republican candidate.
This announcement was swiftly followed by endorsements from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman.
Sinking popularity
While there was skepticism toward Trump’s xenophobic and marginalizing politics, faith in current President Joe Biden among US citizens appears to be waning. According to Reuters/Ipsos poll published in June 2024, a whopping 57% of US citizen disapprove of Joe Biden.
According to the poll, US voters view Donald Trump as the stronger candidate for the economy, while favoring President Joe Biden’s approach to safeguarding democracy. In the latest poll, President Biden’s approval rating among all respondents increased slightly to 37%, up from 36% in May, which had matched the lowest point of his presidency.
President Biden garnered support from Bernie Sanders, but recent poll data has not favored him. Nancy Pelosi, a prominent figure in the Democratic Party, contradicted Biden’s assertion that issues regarding his poor debate performance and nomination were resolved. Speaking on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” she suggested it was Biden’s decision whether to run again, widely seen as a call for him to reconsider.
What polls say?
Recent polls from NPR, PBS NewsHour, and Marist University indicated that President Biden holds a narrow lead over Trump, which is statistically insignificant. Meanwhile, The Washington Post’s poll conducted with ABC News and Ipsos showed them in a tie.