Biden leads Trump in poll but voters say incumbent can rescue economy

Democratic candidate Joe Biden leads President Donald Trump in a new poll that finds voters still think the incumbent is better qualified to bring back the nation's anemic economy, which is in recession as the nation struggles to manage the COVID-19 pandemic.

An NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll that surveyed 1,152 adults between Sept. 11 and Sept. 16 found Biden leads Trump overall with 52 per cent of the vote compared to the president's 42 per cent. That margin tightens slightly when third party candidates are included in the polling.

The poll shows that Biden holds a commanding lead over Trump when it comes to race relations and the handling of coronavirus. Data also indicates the former vice president won over 49 per cent of potential voters on the topic of crime, compared with Trump's 45 per cent, despite Trump's push to establish himself as a "law and order president."

But when it comes to the economy, 50 per cent or those polled believe Trump is better qualified to manage the nation's finances as opposed to Biden's 46 per cent with participants listing economic recovery as their chief concern.

Of those asked, one in five said the economy was the issue they found most important, with only 13 per cent listing Covid-19 as their top priority and 8 per cent claiming race as a primary concern.

Attitudes about racial injustice protests were closely divided with 48 per cent of the public believing the marches have been legitimate and 45 per cent considering demonstrators' actions "mostly unlawful."

In August, 53 per cent of respondents said the protests that started after the May 25 death of Minnesotan George Floyd in police custody were legitimate while only 38 per cent considered them unlawful.

The president scored well with white Evangelical males and men who don't have a college degree. Biden scored big with women across the board, particularly educated white females.

Of voters planning to vote for Biden, 50 per cent cite support for his candidacy while 45 per cent said they are voting in opposition to Trump. Trump's job approval rating is 40 per cent with 29 per cent of respondents strongly approving. Pollsters found that 42 per cent of participants strongly disapprove of the president's performance.

The coronavirus pandemic has killed 198,000 Americans, according to the CDC. Unemployment fell from 10.2 per cent to 8.4 per cent in August as states began to reopen.