Another day, and another poll brings warning lights on the dashboard for President Donald Trump and Republicans ahead of next year's elections. The latest is a Marist Poll that shows Democrats hold a 14-point lead over Republicans (55%-41%) in the generic ballot. That marks the largest margin in more than three years. One year ago, the same poll had the parties tied at 48%.
The Marist poll comes on the heels of a Fox News poll showing Trump underwater with voters on the economy, and disappointing election results earlier this month in Virginia and New Jersey, when a large number of Trump voters didn't show up. "It is a wake-up call," says Dr. Bo Kabala, assistant professor of politics at Tarleton State University. "We know that in New Jersey and Virginia, a significant portion of Trump voters stayed home...what they're saying is they'd like to see the president focus less on foreign policy, and get back to tackling crime, immigration and the economy."
While Trump still polls well on crime and immigration, the majority of voters cite the economy as their top issue. To that end, Trump and the GOP need to see a bigger drop in inflation and more interest rate cuts to spur the economy. The good news for them is the election is still a year away. "There was a glimmer of light coming out of this year's elections," says Kabala. "Exit polls suggest Trump's America First immigration policy is a strength."
"I think if (Trump) refocuses on domestic issues and gets back to the message that got him into the White House, if he's out on the stump next year, then Republicans could do quite well."
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