Biden opens 14-point national lead over Trump after debate

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden holds a 14-point lead over President Trump in a national poll taken right after their first debate.

Biden has the support of 53 percent of registered voters in the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released early Sunday, compared to Trump’s 39 percent.

Biden’s lead increased 8 percentage points from a poll before last week’s debate, NBC News noted, adding that the former vice president’s current advantage over Trump is his largest of the 2020 campaign.

Almost half of respondents – 49 percent – told pollsters that Biden did a better job in the debate, which was marked by repeated interruptions and personal insults. Roughly one-quarter – 24 percent – said Trump did better.

Approximately three in four registered voters – 73 percent – said the debate would have no effect on their vote.

Trump’s job approval rating also fell 2 percentage points in the new survey to 43 percent.

Fifty-eight percent of respondents said Biden has the better temperament to be president, compared to 26 percent who selected Trump.

Biden also holds an edge over the president on topics including race relations, health care and the coronavirus.

Trump is still the choice of more respondents on the economy, although his support slipped 3 points in the new poll.

Respondents were also split on Trump’s nominee to succeed the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court. Thirty-five percent support Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination, 33 percent oppose it and 30 percent say they need more information.

The poll of 800 registered voters was conducted between Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, before Trump’s positive coronavirus test was announced. It has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.

— Updated at 9:25 a.m.