- Both Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump are poised to enter the 2024 general election with highly unfavorable ratings.
- The election could be decided by “double haters,” or voters who view both candidates negatively.
- In 2016, Trump won among “double haters.” Four years later, it was Biden who won this group.
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have at least one thing in common. That means both are unpopular candidates heading into the 2024 election.
This is a significant turn of events for Biden, who had a 53% favorability rating among likely voters in October 2020, according to a New York Times/Siena College poll. Currently, Biden's favorability rating among likely voters stands at 41%, while his favorability rating is slightly better than Trump's at 44%.
What does this mean for November?
If Biden and Trump emerge as the candidates of their respective parties, a significant number of voters will likely head to the ballot box with an unfavorable view of the candidates of both major parties. Such voters are often called “double haters” because they have to choose between the two candidates they dislike.
They also have the potential to be the most volatile voting bloc in the 2024 election, and could ultimately prove decisive in boosting either Biden's or Trump's fortunes.
The Times/Siena poll found Biden leading Trump among “double haters,” 45% to 33%, the paper said. The group accounted for 19% of survey respondents, making “double haters” a crucial voting bloc in the November election, the newspaper said.
In 2016, Trump won among “double haters” as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's once-high approval ratings plummeted during the campaign. And in 2020, Biden, who served as vice president for eight years under President Barack Obama, was able to capitalize on Trump's widespread unpopularity among voters.
But this year, Mr. Biden's woes have been exacerbated by concerns about his age, bitter disagreements over his handling of the Israel-Hamas war, and a lack of understanding of the country's economic recovery, while Mr. Trump has faced turbulent economic recovery. He is suffering from the aftermath of his first term. to the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot and his 91 criminal charges.
In the end, “double haters” may end up saving Biden's presidency. Or it could give Trump an advantage.
