A barrage of criticism from President Trump doesn’t appear to have dented Joe Biden so far, polls show. Instead, the Democratic nominee has seen his favorability ratings improve in the closing days of the 2020 race.
WASHINGTON—President Trump is dipping into his 2016 playbook, using paid advertising, his Twitter feed, campaign rallies and White House events to attack Democratic nominee Joe Biden over his political record and his mental stability, among other things.
The barrage of criticism doesn’t appear to have dented Mr. Biden so far, polls show. Instead, the former vice president has seen his favorability ratings improve in the closing days of the 2020 race,, reaching 43% positive and 42% negative in mid-October. Mr. Biden rates higher than the president, who saw 53% of people rate him negatively and 42% positively in that mid-October poll. And Mr. Biden is viewed more favorably by voters than either Mr. Trump or 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton was at this time four years ago.
The dynamic underscores one of the biggest differences between the 2016 campaign and this year. Despite Mr. Trump’s efforts to tarnish his rival, the 2020 race hasn’t become a choice between two unpopular candidates. That contrasts with four years ago, when both candidates were viewed negatively, according to polls, and Mr. Trump was able to play up existing frustrations among many in the electorate with Mrs. Clinton.
Pollsters and political strategists said this election is a referendum on Mr. Trump’s leadership and his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, with the president trailing Mr. Biden in national and battleground state polls.
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