As the Democratic presidential primary heats up, the question on everyone's mind is which candidate stands the best chance to defeat President Donald Trump in the 2020 general election.
According to a new poll released by Quinnipiac University, it's Trump who may have to worry whether or not he can beat any of the top tier candidates.
The poll shows Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (D-VT) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) beating Donald Trump. Former Vice President Joe Biden, former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg beat Trump in the hypothetical general as well.
Bloomberg—a late entry candidate who hasn't yet appeared on the Democratic debate stage and isn't on the ballot in tonight's New Hampshire primary—showed a substantial boost in support, and beats Trump by the widest margin, 51 to 42, than any of the candidates so far.
Narrowly trailing Bloomberg in that victory margin is Senator Bernie Sanders, who overtook Biden's lead for the first time.
Trump's numbers are congruent with his most consistent approval rating average, which has hovered in the low to mid-40s for over a year now.
If Republicans are looking for a consolation, they likely won't find it from the other results in this poll.
Fifty-five percent of those surveyed said that the Senate's recent acquittal of the President doesn't clear him of wrongdoing, and 59 percent said that the Senate's impeachment trial was conducted unfairly.
Astonishingly enough, however, 92 percent of Republican voters surveyed are confident that Trump won't solicit foreign help to boost his chances in 2020.
People had strong reactions to these latest numbers.
As the nation learned the hard way in 2016, polls aren't as reliable as votes.
In a nation where the electoral college—rather than the popular vote—decides the President national polls can sometimes be misleading. The ultimate decision will be made not by the entire nation, but by swing states like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Nevertheless, Trump's consistent ceiling of 44 percent is reason to hope.
Once the Democratic nominee is decided, Trump will be able to unleash a barrage of negative ads and opposition research on one candidate instead of six, which has the potential to change these numbers.
The only surefire way to prevent a second term of Trump is a widespread voter turnout.
