Biden Campaign Internal Poll Shows Tight Race After Debate

The Biden campaign sent an all-staff memo Wednesday with an internal poll showing President Joe Biden's debate performance hasn't changed voting intentions ahead of the 2024 election.

Biden is trailing former President Donald Trump by one point across battleground states, according to the memo, which was obtained by Newsweek.

The memo comes as the Biden campaign seeks to tamp down concerns among Democrats following Biden's poor performance at the debate.

The internal poll taken Monday and Tuesday found Trump leading Biden 43 to 42 percent, in contrast to pre-debate campaign polling showing both candidates deadlocked at 43 percent.

"All of this is well within the margin of error and shows a steady race," the memo said

The message to staffers Wednesday also noted that the campaign's internal polling is similar to outside polling showing Biden's standing hasn't slipped much since the debate last Thursday.

Joe Biden
President Joe Biden speaks at a post-debate campaign rally on June 28, 2024 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Allison Joyce/Getty Images

The memo pointed to a CBS poll out Wednesday showing Trump leading Biden 51 to 48 percent in battleground states, and trailing Trump by 2 percentage points nationally.

Trump also drew criticism at the debate for making numerous false claims and refusing to say that he would accept the outcome of the 2024 election regardless of who wins.

But that was overshadowed by Biden's stumbles. The president appeared to struggle to complete sentences at times, reinforcing public concerns over his age and ability to serve as president for a second term.

Biden is 81 years old and Trump is 78.

Campaign officials have said there are no plans for Biden to step aside, despite mounting pressure from some Democrats for the president to drop out of the race.

On Tuesday Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas became the first Democratic official to call for Biden to step aside.

fairness meter

fairness meter

Newsweek is committed to journalism that's factual and fair.


Hold us accountable and submit your rating of this article on the meter.

Newsweek is committed to journalism that's factual and fair.


Hold us accountable and submit your rating of this article on the meter.

Click On Meter
To Rate This Article
Comment about your rating
Share your rating

About the writer


Daniel Bush is a White House Correspondent for Newsweek. He reports on President Biden, national politics and foreign affairs. Biden ... Read more

To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek magazine delivered to your door
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go
Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go