Trump-Biden race tight even as majorities cite wrongdoing: poll

President Biden and former President Trump are in a tight match-up for the 2024 presidential election, with Americans thinking both candidates have engaged in wrongdoing.

Biden received 49 percent among registered voters nationally, and Trump received 47 percent, a NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist National poll released Wednesday found. Among independents, Trump led by 8 percentage points with 50 percent, compared with 42 percent for Biden.

The poll also found that 49 percent of Americans think Trump has done something illegal, while 38 percent think Biden has done something illegal, and 50 percent of Americans think Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, did something illegal.

The data came a day after Trump, the clear front-runner in the Republican primary race, was in court for a New York fraud trial and the younger Biden pleaded not guilty to gun charges. Last week, Republicans in the House held their first hearing on the impeachment inquiry into President Biden.

The poll found that 32 percent of Americans want Trump to be president again, even if he is convicted of a crime; that ticks up to 67 percent among Republicans. Meanwhile, 35 percent of Americans think Hunter Biden did something unethical but not illegal, and 52 percent of Americans disapprove of the House launching an impeachment inquiry into the president.

Trump led among voters who say that they have an unfavorable opinion of both candidates, with the former president receiving 54 percent and Biden receiving 27 percent. In exit polls from the 2020 election, Trump also led among voters who disliked both candidates — 52 percent to 35 percent.

The poll was conducted Sept. 25-28 and includes 1,256 adults. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.