Trump vs. Biden In Swing States: Which Candidate Has The Edge In Early Polls?

The latest polls show a close race between incumbent President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden in key swing states such as Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Florida.

In Wisconsin, the latest survey was conducted by Marquette University in late March, and shows Biden at 48% support to Trump’s 45%. The three most recent polls in the state show Biden with a lead of 2 and 3 points.

In Pennsylvania, the latest survey from Harper Polling shows Biden at 49% to Trump’s 43%. Polls in the state conducted over the last two months show Biden beating Trump by a 6 to 8 point margin. The lead is not surprising since Biden was born in Scranton and has a strong connection to the state.

In North Carolina, the latest poll from WRAL-TV/SurveyUSA shows Biden at 50% to Trump’s 45%. A poll conducted at the beginning of April, however, had Trump at 49% to Biden’s 42%, a strong lead for the incumbent.

In Florida, the latest poll from Fox News shows Biden at 46% to Trump’s 43%. Most recent surveys in the state show Biden with a lead of 3 to 6 points, although one survey shows the candidates at a tie.

Trump’s response to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak could be hurting him in swing states. During public White House briefings, he has touted untested cures for the virus and claimed that injecting disinfectants could work as a treatment.

“Trump is completely dominating the public’s attention, and it’s not helping him,” Alex Conant, a Republican who worked for Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s 2016 presidential campaign told the Associated Press.

At the same time, Biden has been forced to call off in-person rallies due to the coronavirus, while Trump makes public appearances about the coronavirus. Trump has referred to himself as a “wartime” president amid the coronavirus crisis.

The U.S. currently has more cases of the virus than any other country. As of Monday at 3:50 p.m. ET, there are 1,172,670 cases of coronavirus in the U.S., with the domestic death toll at 68,326.