A new poll released last week by the public affairs firm Firehouse Strategies shows President Donald Trump either statistically tied or behind three top Democratic candidates in key Midwest states.
The survey was conducted in partnership with the data analytics firm 0ptimus, showing Trump’s approval rating “underwater” in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.
Respondents were surveyed on a series of possible head-to-head matchups between Trump and the three Democratic candidates with the highest polling numbers: former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
“Given the electoral math, the Democratic nominee likely needs to win some or all of these Midwestern states to win the election,” the pollsters write.
In both Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, Trump polled behind all three Democratic candidates. Biden, a Scranton native, had the biggest lead over Trump in Pennsylvania, while Sanders had the biggest lead over the president in Wisconsin.
Trump had a slight edge in Michigan, however, where he polled ahead of Sanders and Warren, but trailed Biden by one percentage point.
“Overall, we find the Democrats with narrow leads in three of the most crucial 2020 states. These numbers are more favorable to Democrats on the whole than our findings in June, but with over a year to go, the presidential race has many twists and turns in store,” the pollsters conclude.
Trump’s approval rating is slipping in each of the three states. His best state is Michigan, where 45 percent approve and 49 percent disapprove of his performance. In Pennsylvania, 43 percent approve and 52 percent disapprove, while 42 percent of Wisconsin voters approve and 54 percent disapprove.
“In each state, at least 10 percent of respondents somewhat approve of his performance. This seems to indicate that he has much more room to fall than to rise in these states,” the pollsters suggest.
The poll points out that the numbers could be related to President Trump’s Hurricane Dorian gaffe, which majorities in each state were bothered by.
The full poll can be viewed here.
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of Battleground State News, The Ohio Star, and The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Donald Trump” by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. CC BY 2.0. Photos “Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0.
