As calls grow for Biden to drop out, new poll shows Michelle Obama would beat Trump

WASHINGTON − Former first lady Michelle Obama would beat former President Donald Trump in a hypothetical match-up, according to a new poll.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll, conducted between July 1 and July 2, found that 50% of registered voters surveyed would vote for Obama while 39% would vote for Trump if the presidential election were held today. Eleven percent of respondents said they wouldn’t vote, would vote for another candidate, or didn’t know. 

Other hypothetical Democratic candidates in the list, such as California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Illinois Gov. J. B. Pritzker, would receive fewer votes than Trump in a hypothetical matchup, according to the poll.

Fifty-five percent of registered voters also said they have a favorable attitude toward Obama, compared to 42% toward Trump. The poll, conducted among 892 registered voters, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

The findings come as several Democrats have aired concerns about President Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee, after a shaky debate performance against Trump last week that put his age, 81, into the spotlight. Among the 1,070 U.S. residents surveyed in the poll, 56% agree that Biden should drop out of the race following the debate.

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

"President Biden has work to do, but will be running on mobilizing issues that we are confident will bring him to victory this November," said Biden campaign pollster Molly Murphy.