Former President Trump holds a seven-point lead over President Biden in Michigan, according to a new poll published by The Detroit Free Press on Sunday, a sizable margin that underlines Democratic concerns about Biden’s candidacy.
Trump has 49 percent support in the state to Biden’s 42 percent, according to the poll, with 9 percent of voters undecided. With third party candidates included, Trump leads Biden 43-36, with independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. taking 8 percent support.
“It's only going to add to the pressure on Biden to step aside and have someone replace him,” pollster Bernie Porn told The Free Press. “The Democrats are in a difficult position.”
The Michigan poll is notable as it showed Trump leading every geographic region of the state, including the Democratic stronghold of metro Detroit. Trump led Biden 46-44 percent in the Detroit area, according to the poll, a far cry from the 2020 election result where Biden carried the region 56-40 percent.
Overall, Trump has more than doubled his lead in Michigan since Biden’s stumbling performance in the candidates’ first debate in late June, compared to The Free Press’ previous polling.
A rising number of Democrats, including five senators and dozens of House members, have called on Biden to leave the presidential race over concerns that he can’t defeat Trump in November. Biden has remained adamant that he will be the party’s nominee.
Should he choose to leave the race, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) has been floated as a potential replacement, though she has brushed off the idea. Many Democrats appear to have coalesced around Vice President Kamala Harris if Biden drops out.
Sen. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) added himself to the growing chorus on Sunday.
“I came to the decision with a heavy heart that I think it’s time to pass the torch to a new generation,” Manchin said. “I want him to be the president in the last five months of this presidency of his term, to do what he can do is unite our country, to calm down the rhetoric and be able to focus attention to peace in the world.”
In the poll, a 47-percent plurality of Democrats said they believe Biden should leave the race, and about one-in-five said Harris should replace him.
Trump was in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Saturday for a rally in the state.
The Free Press poll surveyed about 600 likely voters, with a margin of error of four percent.
