2024 US Presidential Election: The assassination attempt on Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump could have turned the tide for Democratic candidate Joe Biden, who is seeking a second term as President of the United States in the November election.
Democratic candidate and US President Joe Biden (81) is facing increasing pressure to resign as his support grows. Just weeks after holding a glitzy presidential fundraiser, Biden lost his supporter, Hollywood actor George Clooney, who stepped up pressure for Biden’s reelection with a column calling for him to step down.
Let’s take a closer look
The war in Ukraine and Gaza
The US under Joe Biden has allocated funds to support Ukraine since Russia launched a “special military operation” in 2022, exacerbating the conflict. Moreover, the US has continued to increase arms, ammunition and financial aid to Benjamin Netanyahu’s Israel since October 2023, despite its actions that have led to thousands of deaths and hundreds of thousands of displacement in the Gaza Strip.
This has resulted in public anger towards US President Joe Biden.
Furthermore, his references to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Vice President Kamala Harris as Donald Trump may have caused further trouble for Zelensky ahead of the November elections.
Gun violence in the United States
While Biden has been vocal in his opposition to gun violence in America, the assassination attempt on President Donald Trump has shifted the focus away from the internal Democratic infighting after the debate, Republican governing plans and even Trump’s legal troubles, to concerns about political violence and national stability.
President Joe Biden will be formally nominated by Democrats for a second presidential term in a virtual vote scheduled for late July ahead of the Democratic National Convention.
Biden’s comments about Donald Trump, such as saying he wanted to “take a shot at him,” and his tweets advocating policies such as banning assault weapons and implementing universal background checks in contrast to Trump’s positions supported by the National Rifle Association, have put him in an even more unfavorable position compared to Trump.
The debate fiasco
Widely described as “disastrous,” the debate only put Biden in an even more disadvantaged position than he was already in. Biden’s weakest performance since John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon began the televised debate tradition in 1960.
By the time the aging rivals were locked in a bitter dispute over who was the best golfer, it wasn’t hard to see why voters have long said in polls that they wanted no part in the choices presented to them this year.
Business rushes to support Trump
Following the news of the assassination attempt on Republican candidate Donald Trump, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and the world’s richest man, quickly voiced his support for the Republican candidate.
Shortly after the announcement, voices of support came from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman.
Declining popularity
While there is skepticism about President Trump’s xenophobia and exclusionary policies, Americans’ trust in current President Joe Biden seems to be fading. According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released in June 2024, a staggering 57% of Americans do not support Joe Biden.
Polls show that U.S. voters view Donald Trump as the stronger candidate when it comes to the economy and support President Joe Biden’s approach to protecting democracy. In the latest poll, Biden’s approval rating among all respondents rose slightly to 37%, down from 36% in May, the lowest level of his presidency.
President Biden has garnered the endorsement of Bernie Sanders, who has not fared well in recent polls. Key Democratic figure Nancy Pelosi has pushed back against Biden’s claims that his poor debate performance and nomination issues are over. Speaking on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” she suggested it was up to Biden to decide whether to run again, in a move widely seen as a call for reconsideration.
What do the polls say?
A recent poll by NPR, PBS NewsHour and Marist College showed President Biden with a slight, but statistically insignificant, lead over President Trump, while a Washington Post poll conducted in partnership with ABC News and Ipsos showed the two tied.
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