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President Biden led former President Donald Trump by just two points in a new poll of Pennsylvania registered voters, despite the enduring belief of many that he is too old to serve as chief executive for another term.
Biden pulled ahead of Trump in a new Franklin & Marshall Poll released on Thursday, winning with Pennsylvania voters 42% to 40%.
Pennsylvania is one of the critical battleground states that is expected to help determine the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. The state was notably won by Trump in 2016 but then swung back to Democrats to help Biden win in 2020. Biden took the state in the last election by less than two points.
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President Biden, left, and former President Donald Trump are headed for a rematch in November. (Getty Images)
Illustrating the close race, a separate survey from The Wall Street Journal showed Trump ahead of Biden in six of the seven key battleground states, including Pennsylvania. Trump also defeated his opponent in Michigan, Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and North Carolina.
While he managed to surpass Trump in the Franklin & Marshall poll, Biden still faced a significant portion of Pennsylvanians who say he is “too old,” at 81, to carry out a second term. By the end of a potential second term, Biden would be 86.
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Four in 10 registered voters in Pennsylvania agreed Biden’s age was too advanced to serve a second term. This number has remained steady in Franklin & Marshall’s surveying since October 2023. An additional 40% said age is an issue for both of the candidates’ abilities to serve another term.
Biden’s age has been a particular concern for voters. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
Only 6% of respondents said Trump is “too old.” The former president is 77.
“With just 35% job approval, Joe Biden is floundering in his home state of Pennsylvania,” said Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt in a statement to Fox News Digital, referencing the approval rating reported by the poll.
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“Between higher gas prices, surging crime, and failed Democrat policies crushing families at every corner, it’s no wonder that Pennsylvanians across the commonwealth are increasingly rejecting the failed Biden agenda and supporting President Trump,” she added.
While voters said Trump was a better choice to handle the economy over Biden, the president managed to sustain his advantage over Trump on questions of trustworthiness and character.
Trump and Biden each face significant obstacles among swing state voters. (Getty Images)
The survey also showed Biden’s margin expanding in a one-on-one match-up with Trump. In such a scenario, Biden garnered 48% to Trump’s 38%, extending his two-point lead to 10. According to the poll, the change in Biden’s margin when third-party candidates are included is “because support for the president declines among registered Democrats as more of them opt for a third-party candidate.”
Democratic National Committee spokesperson Matt Corridoni told Fox News Digital that the poll was “more proof” that Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is being set up “to be a spoiler in this race.”
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Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is attempting to get on each state’s ballot. (Getty Images)
Despite Biden’s increased odds in a two-man race, it’s unlikely that such a race would play out in the Keystone State. Several prominent people have launched campaigns for the White House in 2024, including Kennedy, as an independent; Jill Stein on the Green Party’s ticket; and Cornel West as an independent.
Kennedy’s campaign website lists its effort to achieve ballot access in Pennsylvania as “in progress” with months until the state’s August filing deadline.
Julia Johnson is a politics writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, leading coverage of the U.S. Senate. She was previously a politics reporter at the Washington Examiner.
Follow Julia’s reporting on X at @JuliaaJohnson_ and send tips to Julia.Johnson@fox.com.
