President Joe Biden has narrowed Donald Trump's initial polling lead, according to a recent survey conducted by The New York Times and Siena College.
The survey suggests that the Democratic base is beginning to unify behind him despite ongoing concerns about the nation's trajectory, the economy, and his age. Currently, Biden and Trump find themselves in a virtual deadlock, with the former president maintaining a slight edge of 46 percent to 45 percent.
This marks an improvement for Biden compared to late February's polling numbers, when Trump held a more robust lead of 48 percent to 43 percent just before he secured the presumptive Republican nomination.
In February, only 85 percent of Biden's 2020 voters expressed their intention to vote for his reelection. However, according to Saturday's poll, that number has surged to 90 percent.
In contrast, Trump, who has historically benefited from strong support among his base, saw a decline of three percent among his 2020 supporters. His support dropped from 97 percent in February to 94 percent in the most recent poll.
The poll highlights a tightening race as the candidates navigate through an increasingly polarized electorate in the run-up to the November election.
The previous two presidential elections were determined by just tens of thousands of votes in select battleground states, and the upcoming one may be equally close. In a nation as evenly split as the U.S., even minor shifts in support could have decisive consequences.
Both Biden and Trump continue to face significant unpopularity among voters, as indicated by Saturday's poll. Most voters consider Biden too old, while a majority believe Trump has committed serious federal crimes.
Biden's net favorability rating saw a slight increase of one point from February's poll, reaching 42 percent, while Trump remained steady at 44 percent.
A significant 64 percent of voters still perceive the nation as heading in the wrong direction.
Nearly 80 percent of voters assess the nation's economic conditions as fair or poor, a sentiment shared by a majority of Democrats.
The survey, conducted between April 7 and 11 with 1,059 registered voters, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 for likely voters.
It comes just ahead of a significant event in Trump's trajectory - his unprecedented criminal trial in New York City, marking the first time a former American president faces such charges.
The allegations are tied to falsifying records concerning a hush-money payment to a porn star. While this case is one of four felony charges against Trump, it is the only trial scheduled to start before the upcoming election.
