A new poll conducted by The Washington Post and the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University shows that key swing state voters trust former President Donald Trump more than President Joe Biden to defend U.S. democracy against threats.
Trump’s lead is especially pronounced among voters identified as “deciders,” who are likely to play a pivotal role in the upcoming presidential election.
The extensive survey, spanning from April 15 to May 30, reached over 3,500 registered voters through mail, phone, and text, focusing on those from pivotal battleground states—Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
Among these respondents, a subset of 2,255 individuals was identified as “deciders.” These voters, either 18-25 years old, sporadic in their voting patterns, party-switchers since the last election, or still undecided, are seen as potentially having the most significant impact on the upcoming election.
A substantial 61% of all surveyed swing state voters deemed “threats to democracy” an extremely important issue, with 56% of deciders echoing this concern. This issue is even more pressing among those already aligned with Biden or Trump, where 78% and 71%, respectively, consider it of utmost importance.
When it comes to handling these democracy threats, 44% of all swing state voters believe Trump would be more effective, compared to 33% who favor Biden.
The figures skew slightly different among the deciders, with 38% favoring Trump and 29% Biden. Notably, a significant portion of voters, 16%, believe neither candidate is up to the task.
While more deciders lean towards Trump for defending democracy, there’s skepticism about his willingness to accept an unfavorable election outcome. 73% of those surveyed believe Trump is likely to reject the results if he loses.
This view is less commonly held about Biden, with only 30% anticipating he would not accept a loss. Additionally, 47% of deciders suspect that Trump might attempt to govern dictatorially if given a chance, a concern that only 15% share about Biden.
The WaPo poll revealed that voters in key swing states view “threats to U.S. democracy” as a critical issue, and they perceive Donald Trump as the more capable candidate in addressing these threats.
Justin Gest, a professor of policy and government at George Mason University, commented on the poll. “Many Americans don’t recognize Biden’s custodianship of our democracy, which is a bad sign for his campaign,” Gest told the Post.