The poll is the first by The Wall Street Journal<\/em> to give Trump the lead in a head-to-head contest with Biden.<\/p>\n It put Trump at 47 per cent support and Biden at 43 per cent.<\/p>\n US President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>AP<\/cite><\/p>\n Biden\u2019s satisfaction rating also plunged to a record low with just 37 per cent of those surveyed saying they were content with his performance.<\/p>\n Over the weekend, Minnesota representative Dean Phillips, who is challenging Biden for the Democratic nomination, warned that Trump would win the election unless his party puts up a fresh face.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople are quite tired of hearing [from] their president that all is well economically and yet they are struggling immensely,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n His concerns are reflected in the poll, especially among a group classified as \u201cdisaffected Democrats\u201d.<\/p>\n Of this cohort, 55 per cent said the Biden administration\u2019s policies had hurt them personally.<\/p>\n Despite unemployment being at its lowest level since 1969, two-thirds of respondents said the economy had worsened over the past two years.<\/p>\n A CBS poll showed that 76 per cent of Americans felt their income was not keeping up with inflation and 62 per cent of respondents said the economy was in a bad state.<\/p>\n Alarmingly for the Democrats, Trump\u2019s lead on Biden grew to six points if a third-party candidate entered the race, according to The Wall Street Journal<\/em>, which also claims as many as five independents could enter the race and win the support of 17 per cent of voters between them.<\/p>\n Former US president Donald Trump speaks during the New York Young Republican Club\u2019s annual gala on Saturday.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>AP<\/cite><\/p>\n Robert Kennedy jnr, who has already announced he is running as an independent, has 8 per cent support according to the newspaper.<\/p>\n Cornel West has also entered the race as a \u201cPeople\u2019s Party\u201d candidate and is likely to pull votes away from Biden.<\/p>\n Over the weekend, Joe Manchin, a centrist Democrat senator, hinted that he could also seek nomination, albeit light-heartedly at a dinner in Washington.<\/p>\n \u201cI truly believe the American people are ready to pass the torch to a new generation, somebody younger. I\u2019d say maybe someone close to 76 that doesn\u2019t look a day over 70.\u201d<\/p>\n Manchin is one of the names being touted as a potential candidate for the bipartisan \u201cNo Labels\u201d group next November.<\/p>\n With polls showing voters to be unenthusiastic over a choice between Biden and Trump, there is growing speculation that the group could put up a centrist ticket with a raft of big names being floated including Larry Hogan, the moderate and popular former governor of Maryland.<\/p>\n A \u201cNo Labels\u201d ticket would act as a spoiler and could peel centrist votes away from Biden.<\/p>\n The president is also facing a threat from the party\u2019s left flank because of his unflinching support for Israel in the war against Hamas.<\/p>\n Earlier this month, Muslim voters in pivotal states threatened to withdraw their support for Biden.<\/p>\n The #AbandonBiden campaign, which is demanding his administration support a ceasefire in Gaza has spread to Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Florida.<\/p>\n Democrat strategists fear the loss of Muslim votes in these states could cost them the election.<\/p>\n The only crumb of comfort for Biden was Mitt Romney, a former Republican candidate, refusing to rule out voting for him.<\/p>\n While Trump\u2019s base remains solid, Romney voiced the concerns of centrist Republicans over what kind of administration he might run.<\/p>\n At a recent town hall, Trump rang alarm bells when he said he would not be a dictator if elected to the White House next year, \u201cexcept for day one\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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