4 in 10 Democrats say Biden should not be party’s nominee after debate: Survey

More than 4 in 10 Democrats said President Biden should not be the party’s nominee following his lackluster debate performance, according to a new survey.

The USA Today/Suffolk University poll found 41 percent of Democrats said they think the party should replace Biden as its presidential nominee, including 38 percent who said they are planning to vote for him, according to USA Today. The poll was taken in the days following Thursday night’s debate, when Biden’s performance left many wondering whether he should be replaced.

While a significant share of Democrats said Biden should be replaced, Republicans in the new survey were more likely to stand behind former President Trump. Just 14 percent of Republicans and 12 percent of supporters said Trump should be replaced on the party’s ticket, according to USA Today.

However, more than half of respondents said both candidates should be replaced on the ballot. USA Today said 54 percent of those polled said Biden should be replaced, while 51 percent said the same of Trump.

Additionally, most independent voters said both candidates should be replaced. Sixty-four percent of independents said Biden should be, while 63 percent said Trump should be, according to the report.

Fifty-nine percent of Republicans in the new survey said the debate made them more likely to support Trump, while just 24 percent said the same of Biden.

USA Today reported that 26 percent of independents said they were more likely to support Trump following the debate, 9 percent chose Biden and 17 percent said it made them more likely to support a third-party candidate.

Biden’s campaign and the White House have shot down speculation that he will be stepping down from the ballot after the debate. Numerous major news outlets have called on Biden to drop out of the race in the days following the debate.

The poll was conducted among 1,000 registered voters through landline and cell phone interviews June 28-30. It has a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.