In a survey of voters who supported President Joe Biden in 2020 by a margin of 7 points (52% to 45%), former President Donald Trump now holds a slight advantage over Vice President Kamala Harris, leading her by 1 point (46% to 45%), as shown in the latest poll from The New York Times/Siena College released on Sunday.

“I think I’m going Republican this time because, really, the economy is the biggest issue for me,” said Atlanta voter Oliver Funk, 25, in an interview with the Times. “I think Donald Trump will be better at handling just everyday prices than what we’ve seen in the past four years. I think that’s funny to say ‘American democracy is under threat.’ There’s actually democracy under threat around the world. We’re pretty coddled and pretty safe. Actually, extremely safe.”

The Times’ report, however, emphasized the Democrats’ “threat to democracy” message directed against Trump. Interestingly, the story doesn’t mention the multiple assassination threats against Trump or Harris’s choice to bypass the Democratic primary process, which Biden overwhelmingly won.

The article also reiterates Democratic concerns about “the 2020 presidential election, the criminal conviction of former President Donald J. Trump and Mr. Trump’s continued insistence that the democratic process is rigged.”

The full results from the Times/Siena poll among registered voters indicate:

  1. Trump, Republican, 46%
  2. Harris, Democrat, 45%
  3. Stein, Green Party, 2%

Other candidates, such as independents Robert F. Kennedy and Cornel West, Libertarian Chase Oliver, and an unnamed candidate, received less than 1% each. One percent said they wouldn’t vote due to the candidate options, while 4% were undecided or didn’t disclose their choice.

The Times focused heavily on the Democrats’ narrative, headlining, “Voters Are Deeply Skeptical About the Health of American Democracy.” The subheadline hinted at dissatisfaction with Biden and Harris, stating, “Nearly half say it does not do a good job representing the people, and three-quarters say it is under threat.”

However, a closer look shows that a plurality of those polled (49%) believe American democracy “does a good job representing people,” outpacing the 45% who feel it “does not.”

Notably, a strong majority (76%) of respondents agree that American democracy “is currently under threat,” while only 20% feel it is “not currently under threat.”

Economic concerns continue to be a priority, as seen in a comment from Norfolk, Virginia, social worker Tyra Jackson-Taylor: “I even have to go to a food bank, and my husband and I make a decent salary, and we still can’t wholly make ends meet with three children. It’s just a lot, me having to work and him work overtime, just to try to make the ends meet,” she told the Times.

Although the report highlighted the skepticism surrounding the economy and democracy, the poll also reveals a significant level of trust in the election’s outcome. Confidence in the 2024 election result has risen by 10 points since the 2022 midterms, with nearly 80% of voters trusting the next election’s accuracy. This includes majorities from Republicans, Democrats, and independents, marking an improvement in election confidence over two years, despite the report’s concerns for democracy.

The Times also noted, “few voters say that concerns about democracy are central to their vote. Just 7% of voters said democracy was the most important issue regarding their choice for president.”

This Times/Siena College poll gathered responses from 2,516 voters nationwide between October 20 and October 23. The margin of error among likely voters is +/- 2.2 percentage points.

{Matzav.com}