The latest Wall Street Journal report presents a growing trend of black voters shifting away from President Biden, causing alarm among Democratic strategists.
A New York Times/Siena College poll reveals a surge in black voter support for Trump in battleground states Biden won in 2020. Notably, black voters in states like Nevada, Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin now show 22 percent support for Trump, up from eight percent in 2020. Frustration with Biden’s handling of the economy is evident, with voters in Philadelphia expressing discontent. One voter, Mahamadou Diallo, aged 60, called Biden “a weak man” and expressed a preference for Trump in a hypothetical rematch.
Michelle Smith, a mother from north Philadelphia, echoes these sentiments, feeling let down by Biden’s unmet promises on issues like inflation and high rent prices.
Despite voting for Biden in 2020, she now contemplates not voting at all in the next election. This disillusionment is part of a larger trend, with a May poll showing only 41 percent of black adults wanting Biden to run for a second term, and just 55 percent likely to support him in the general election. In the early months of his presidency, Biden enjoyed approval from 9 out of 10 black voters.
Concerned about this shift, local Democratic leaders in Philadelphia are actively investigating the reasons behind black voters’ growing disinterest in the Democratic Party and Biden. Pennsylvania State Sen. Vincent Hughes, for instance, is conducting outreach efforts to understand the concerns of low-turnout voters. Hughes emphasizes the need to encourage a more positive perspective among black voters.
Democrat Rep. Jim Clyburn says Biden's lackluster support among Black Americans in recent polling is because of the "conservative, MAGA-leaning Supreme Court" pic.twitter.com/PfbfsSvskU
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) November 10, 2023
Meanwhile, Biden’s deputy campaign manager, Quentin Fulks, claims the campaign is making unprecedented investments in black communities and actively working to attract voters rather than solely boosting turnout. The Biden campaign, however, has not yet responded to these developments. The report also notes a recent comment from a Biden campaign official attributing financial problems faced by Americans to “a brick wall of MAGA extremism,” indicating a narrative strategy amid this concerning trend.
