On Monday’s Good Morning America, ABC was still beside itself after Sunday’s This Week unfurled the results of a new ABC News/Washington Post poll that showed ominous news about President Biden’s age, how Americans view his handling of the border crisis and the economy, and Trump having a nine-point lead nationally over the President.
“The race for 2024. A new ABC News/Washington Post poll sounding the alarm for President Biden in a head to head with former President Trump,” teased co-host and former Clinton official George Stephanopoulos.
Fast-forward to the actual segment and chyron stating the poll “finds weakness on the economy & immigration,” Stephanopoulos fretted the poll “signal[ed] trouble for President Biden.”
Chief White House correspondent and Biden apple polisher Mary Bruce seemed befuddled Americans weren’t as enthusiastic about Biden as she was. In the quote below, take note of her lie about inflation “easing” (when it’s actually a slower increasing rate of inflation and not a decline overall with things becoming cheaper):
Well, officials here are downplaying these latest numbers but they certainly are cause for concern for Democrats. Look, President Biden is making the economic recovery the cornerstone of his re-election campaign but our latest ABC News/Washington Post poll shows Americans overwhelmingly just aren’t feeling it, that despite easing inflation and low unemployment, Americans really aren’t buying into his positive Bidenomics message.
Citing only “30 percent of Americans approv[ing] of his handling of the economy” and “44 percent of people say they are not as well off now as they were when Biden took office,” Bruce added “only 23 percent of Americans approve of the President’s handling of” the border crisis.
All told, Bruce showed that culminated in a 37-approve-to-56-percent-disapprove rating, a horrid gap of 19 points.
She then moved onto Biden’s age being a huge concern for three-quarters of the public as well as the nine-point Trump lead nationally (which, as she emphasized, is an outlier in polling) (click “expand”):
His age is a real political problem for him. Right now, three-quarters of Americans — 74 percent — say that he is too old to effectively serve a second term and a majority of Democrats say someone else should actually be the nominee, though the party is deeply divided on who that someone else should be.
And take a look at this when it comes to the head to head match-up with Donald Trump. Our poll is an outlier and it does differ significantly from other recent polling. But our poll shows Trump with a nine point lead over President Biden, while 538’s average polling still has Biden up by roughly two points. And get this. When we ask people if they think that Donald Trump should be constitutionally disqualified from serving another term, even though those who said yes, that Trump shouldn’t be allowed to run, 18 percent of them said they would still vote for him. So, George, the bottom line here, this is just one poll. We are still a ways out from the election. But these numbers do show some real weaknesses for President Biden, George.
Stephanopoulos pivoted to the other side of the ledger from the poll, which was far more hopeful as it showed Trump with a massive lead over his Republican rivals, including the Disney-owned network’s most-feared candidate, Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL).
Naturally, senior congressional correspondent Rachel Scott celebrated the poll claiming “DeSantis is now dropping in the polls.”
The polling released over the weekend also came up on Sunday’s World News Tonight. Sunday anchor Linsey Davis called the findings “more bad news” and “new concerns” with White House correspondent MaryAlice Parks relaying the 19-point approval-to-disapproval gap, how Americans feel worse off financially, and that nearly two-thirds of Democrats and left-of-center independents wanting someone other than Joe Biden to lead the 2024 Democratic ticket.
To see the relevant transcripts from September 24 and 25, click “expand.”
ABC’s World News Tonight with Linsey Davis
September 24, 2023
6:00 p.m. Eastern [TEASE][ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Government Shutdown Showdown]
LINSEY DAVIS: The showdown at the Capitol. Dissension among Republicans as the clock ticks closer to a government shutdown. President Biden urges Congress to do its job as a new ABC News/Washington Post poll has more bad news for the President. MaryAlice Parks standing by on Capitol Hill.
(....)
6:05 p.m. Eastern
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Government Shutdown Showdown]
DAVIS: But a new ABC News/Washington Post poll raises new concerns about the President and the 2024 election.
(....)
6:06 p.m. Eastern
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Developing Now; New ABC News Poll; Biden’s Approval Rating 19 Points Underwater]
MARYALICE PARKS: And it comes as a new ABC News/Washington Post poll shows President’s approval rating is now 19 points underwater with 56 percent of Americans saying they disapprove. 44 percent of Americans in the new poll say they’re worse off financially under Biden’s presidency, and 62 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents say the party should still pick someone other than Biden as its nominee in 2024.
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ABC’s Good Morning America
September 25, 2023
7:00 a.m. Eastern [TEASE][ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Race for 2024; Sounding the Alarm]
GEORGE STPEHANOPOULOS: The race for 2024. A new ABC News/Washington Post poll sounding the alarm for President Biden in a head to head with former President Trump.
(....)
7:09 a.m. Eastern
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: New This Morning; Warning Signs for President Biden; New ABC News/Washington Post Poll Finds Weakness on the Economy & Immigration]
STEPHANOPOULOS: To Washington now and a new ABC News/Washington Post poll which signals trouble for President Biden. It comes as the rest of the GOP field gets ready for their second debate. We have team coverage starting with chief White House correspondent Mary Bruce. Good morning, Mary.
MARY BRUCE: Good morning, George. Well, officials here are downplaying these latest numbers but they certainly are cause for concern for Democrats. Look, President Biden is making the economic recovery the cornerstone of his re-election campaign but our latest ABC News/Washington Post poll shows Americans overwhelmingly just aren’t feeling it, that despite easing inflation and low unemployment, Americans really aren’t buying into his positive Bidenomics message. Just 30 percent of Americans approve of his handling of the economy. In fact, 44 percent of people say they are not as well off now as they were when Biden took office. And, on another hot button issue, immigration, the numbers show only 23 percent of Americans approve of the President’s handling of that situation. All of this is leading to a dismal approval rating for the President, now 19 points underwater. And when it comes to Biden himself, we know this. His age is a real political problem for him. Right now, three-quarters of Americans — 74 percent — say that he is too old to effectively serve a second term and a majority of Democrats say someone else should actually be the nominee, though the party is deeply divided on who that someone else should be.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: New This Morning; Warning Signs for President Biden; Trump Tops Biden in New Head-to-Head Poll]
And take a look at this when it comes to the head to head match-up with Donald Trump. Our poll is an outlier and it does differ significantly from other recent polling. But our poll shows Trump with a nine point lead over President Biden, while 538’s average polling still has Biden up by roughly two points. And get this. When we ask people if they think that Donald Trump should be constitutionally disqualified from serving another term, even though those who said yes, that Trump shouldn’t be allowed to run, 18 percent of them said they would still vote for him. So, George, the bottom line here, this is just one poll. We are still a ways out from the election. But these numbers do show some real weaknesses for President Biden, George.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Mary Bruce, thanks. Let’s get more on this from our senior congressional correspondent, Rachel Scott. And Rachel, on the Republican side, Trump has just solidified his lead in the Republican primary.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: New This Morning; Race for 2024; Republican Candidates Prepare for Second Debate]
RACHEL SCOTT: George, the former President is cementing his lead as the front-runner in this Republican primary even as he faces 91 charges across four cases. According to our latest ABC News/Washington Post poll, the former President is now leading Florida Governor Ron DeSantis by nearly 40 points. That is a 16-point jump from our last poll in May. DeSantis is now dropping in the polls. Every other candidate is in single digits. And the next Republican debate is now just about 72 hours out. So far, six candidates have made the cut, but that first debate just weeks ago did very little to move the needle. The former President is now only widening his lead and he says he’ll sit this next debate out, too.
