A recent poll by Reuters/Ipsos has highlighted former first lady Michelle Obama as the sole Democratic candidate capable of defeating former President Donald Trump in a hypothetical 2024 election scenario. The survey, released on Tuesday, reveals that Michelle Obama would secure 50% of the vote against Trump’s 39%, with only 4% of participants indicating they would abstain from voting.
Despite her consistent refusal to run for president, Obama remains a popular figure among both Democrats and Independents. This poll follows an earlier Rasmussen Reports survey from February, which also identified her as the preferred Democratic candidate to succeed President Joe Biden.
The timing of this poll is significant, coming on the heels of President Biden’s underwhelming debate performance last week. His apparent difficulty in articulating his points and lack of energy during the debate has led many within his party to call for his withdrawal from the race.
In contrast to Obama’s strong showing, Vice President Kamala Harris garnered only 40% support in a direct matchup with Trump. Other Democratic hopefuls, such as Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, also lag behind Trump, with Whitmer trailing by 5 points and Newsom by 3 points.
The survey indicates that approximately one-third of Democrats believe Biden should step aside immediately. This sentiment reflects growing concerns about his viability as the party’s nominee.
The online survey included 1,070 U.S. adults and was conducted over two days from July 1st to July 2nd. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.
