The Hill’s Campaign Report: Biden leads Trump by 6 points in new poll

Welcome to The Hill’s Campaign Report, your daily rundown on all the latest news in the 2020 presidential, Senate and House races. Did someone forward this to you? Click here to subscribe.

We’re Julia Manchester, Max Greenwood and Jonathan Easley. Here’s what we’re watching today on the campaign trail. 

On Thursday, May 21 The Hill hosts Advancing the American Economy, a national virtual summit to discuss a responsible reopening of the US economy. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin joins Editor-in-Chief Bob Cusack for a headline interview followed by an afternoon of discussions with leading CEOs and national health experts. Additional speakers to be announced. Register Now!     

LEADING THE DAY: 

A new Harvard CAPS/Harris poll shows former Vice President Joe Biden leading President Trump less than six months out from the general election. Fifty-three percent of respondents said they would support Biden at the ballot box in November, while 47 percent said they would vote for Trump. 

The survey, which was released exclusively to The Hill, comes as voters’ approval of Trump appears to sour amid the coronavirus pandemic. Trump’s approval rating dropped two points in the same poll to 47 percent, while voters’ approval of his handling of the coronavirus fell 5 points to 46 percent. 

“[Trump] continues to lag in the national presidential horse race while Biden’s numbers have shown no change up or down. This race is far from over and both candidates have potentially winning scenarios,” Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll Director Mark Penn told The Hill. 

Other surveys also show the president trailing the presumptive Democratic nominee. The RealClearPolitics polling average showed the presumptive Democratic nominee leading the president by 4.7 points on Tuesday. 

The administration is facing backlash from public health officials and business leaders who say the White House does not have a national plan to handle the pandemic, instead deferring to individual states to set up their own reopening plans. 

The White House has pushed back on criticism that it does not have a coordinated response. Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany touted the pandemic preparedness plan at a briefing last week. 

Regardless, the race between Trump and Biden appears to be getting personal. Trump’s campaign launched a true-crime style website dubbed “Truth Over Facts” on Monday, hitting Biden over what the president’s campaign called “incomprehensible statements.” The Biden campaign, on the other hand, has continued to ding Trump on various fronts, including the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic and U.S.-China relations. 

–Julia Manchester 

READ MORE:

Biden leads Trump by 6 points as voters sour on pandemic response: poll, by Julia.

 

PERSPECTIVES:

Brad Bannon: Klobuchar and Harris could bolster Biden in the Midwest.

Nathalie Rayes: We can engage voters and redefine elections in time of COVID-19.

 

FROM THE TRAIL:

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in an interview with NBC’s “3rd Hour of Today” on Tuesday that she has had a “opening conversation” with Biden about her potential as his running mate. “I am making a little bit of time to stay connected to the campaign, but the most important thing that I have to do right now is be the governor of my home state. That’s all that matters to me in this moment,” she said. Max Greenwood reports. 

Julie Chávez Rodriguez, the granddaughter of the late labor leader César Chávez, joined Biden’s campaign as senior Latino outreach adviser. Rodriguez will work with the former president of the Latino Victory Fund who manages Latino voter issues for the Biden campaign. She previously worked as the California state director for Sen. Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign. Jonathan Easley reports. 

FROM CONGRESS & THE STATES:

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) rolled out a slate of House and Senate endorsements on Tuesday. The former 2020 contender announced she was putting her support behind Air Force veteran MJ Hegar, who is challenging Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), in addition to endorsing former Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis, who is challenging Rep. Chip Roy (R). Warren also endorsed a number of Democratic House incumbents, including Reps. Joaquin Castro (Texas), Lucy McBath (Ga.) and Matt Cartwright (Pa.). The Hill’s Zack Budryk reports.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) endorsed progressive Georgia House candidate Nabilah Islam in the state’s Democratic primary on Tuesday. Islam, who is seeking the open seat in Georgia’s 7th congressional district, is running on a progressive platform, including pledges to support “Medicare for All,” the Green New Deal and a $15 minimum wage. The Hill’s Rebecca Klar reports.

POLL WATCH:

HARVARD CAPS/HARRIS- GENERAL PRESIDENTIAL

Biden: 53 percent

Trump: 47 percent

 

ROANOKE COLLEGE- VIRGINIA PRESIDENTIAL 

Biden: 51 percent

Trump: 39 percent

 

OH PREDICTIVE INSIGHTS- ARIZONA PRESIDENTIAL 

Biden: 50 percent

Trump: 43 percent

 

CIVIQS – GEORGIA PRESIDENTIAL

Biden: 48 percent

Trump: 47 percent

MARK YOUR CALENDARS:

(Keep in mind these dates could change because of the outbreak.)

May 19:

Oregon, Idaho primaries

 

May 22:

Hawaii Democratic primary

 

June 2:

Delaware primaries

District of Columbia primaries

Indiana primaries

Maryland primaries

Montana primaries

New Mexico primaries

Pennsylvania primaries

Rhode Island primaries

South Dakota primaries

 

June 9:

Georgia primaries

West Virginia primaries

 

June 23:

Kentucky primaries

 

July 7:

New Jersey primaries

 

July 11:

Louisiana

 

July 14:

Alabama Republican Senate primary runoff

 

August 11:

Connecticut primary

 

August 17-20:

Democratic National Convention

 

August 24-27:

Republican National Convention

ONE HOPEFUL THING

Actor and noted Springfield, Missouri native, Brad Pitt, paid homage to his hometown in a video to Missouri State University’s 2020 graduates this week. 

“Hi everyone, Brad here from quarantine, with a shout out to the graduating class of Missouri State University,” Pitt said in a video shared by the university. 

“It must be very strange doing this in these trying times, but know we’re rooting for you, our money’s on you to make this world a better place, and we wish you all the best in your future endeavors,” he continued. 

Pitt is the latest famous figure to publicly offer his congratulations to the class of 2020, who have had to forgo a traditional graduation due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Former President Barack Obama and basketball star LeBron James joined a legion of other stars over the weekend to honor the class of 2020 in a virtual graduation ceremony dubbed “Graduate Together: America Honors The High School Class of 2020.” 

Zendaya, Dua Lipa, Timothee Chalamet and Megan Rapinoe were among the other celebrities that participated in the special, which aired on more than 30 cable networks and digital platforms. 

We’ll see you tomorrow for the latest campaign news and updates!