Biden saw a drop in the polls post debate, but there might be hope on the horizon

A growing number of Democratic lawmakers are voicing their concerns that President Joe Biden’s poor public approval ratings will hurt the party’s prospects for retaining the Senate, which they control by a 51-49 majority, and winning back the House, where Republicans have a 219-213 majority.

Biden faces a critical week as he tries to shore up a campaign on defense since a shaky June 27 debate against Republican Donald Trump in Atlanta, which raised questions about his ability to do the job for another four years.

According to an exclusive USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll, the former president edged ahead of Biden 41% to 38% in one survey conducted immediately after the debate.

Before the debate debacle, the two contenders were tied at 37% of the vote. Respondents were asked who they would choose if the election occurred that day, including four other independent and third-party candidates.

Is there hope on the horizon for Biden?

A poll by the New York Times and Siena College, released on Wednesday, showed the significance of the debate. Trump led Biden 49% to 43%, and Trump’s lead increased by 3% compared to the polling conducted before the debate.

And a stunning 75% of US voters believe the Democratic Party would have a better chance of defeating Trump with a candidate other than Biden at the top of the November ticket, as revealed in a recent CNN poll.

For all of the polling doom and gloom, there might be hope for Biden on the horizon. A fresh poll by Bloomberg/Morning Consult showed Biden narrowing Trump’s post-debate lead in the swing states, with only a 2% difference between the seven states. In Michigan and Wisconsin, the poll showed Biden ahead of Trump.

Reuters contributed to the reporting of this story.

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: After Biden's polls post-debate saw serious slump, a glimmer of hope