President Biden is narrowly winning against former President Trump in a new nationwide survey. However, the poll shows that Trump gets an advantage if independent and third-party candidates are included.
A Quinnipiac University poll, released Wednesday, found that Biden has 48 percent support and Trump has 45 percent in a direct match-up between the main parties’ expected nominees. These numbers are slightly different from February, when the same poll showed Biden ahead of Trump by 49-45 percent.
But the poll highlights the danger to Biden from third-party spoiler candidates. When the question includes independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and third-party candidates Jill Stein and Cornel West, Trump barely moves ahead of Biden, 39-38. Kennedy Jr. has 13 percent support, with Stein at 4 percent and West at 3 percent, according to the survey.
“Way too close to call on the head-to-head and even closer when third-party candidates are counted,” Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy said. “The backstretch is months away, and this is about as close as it can get.”
The poll surveyed 1,407 registered voters nationwide from March 21-25 and has a margin of error of 2.6 percentage points.
The results reflect the latest indicator that Trump and Biden are likely headed for a close general election race. A new poll of battleground states released Tuesday showed Biden closing the gap on Trump, and even pulling ahead in Wisconsin.
Meanwhile, Kennedy Jr. announced Tuesday that his running mate would be attorney and entrepreneur Nicole Shanahan, who could both provide a funding lift and aid with the candidate’s efforts to get on the ballot in states that require a running mate.
The move prompted some backlash from Democrats, who accused Kennedy of helping the GOP by continuing to run against Biden.
