The 2024 presidential election nears ever closer. Following the first presidential debate which occurred on June 27th, the two prospective nominees of the major political parties, Donald Trump, the former 45th president, and Joe Biden, the current incumbent, remain deadlocked in a tight race. The debate, however, appeared to change some of the opinions of potential voters, as Biden and Trump clashed, with many viewers claiming Trump was the more presidential and capable candidate. Biden did appear to struggle at times during the debate, and many polls show a majority of respondents claiming he is not cognitively up to the task of the presidency. Some leading Democrats have even called for Biden to resign and to drop out of the race.
Biden has suffered at the polls of late as average Americans continue to sour on the beleaguered president. In a recent article that recounts a newly released poll from CNN, Biden is losing by 6 points to Trump in a two way race and losing by 9 points in a five way race. The president has a largely negative disapproval rating. Despite these bad numbers, Democrats performed well above expected in the 2022 midterms and Republicans were largely trounced in many key races across the country that year. In honesty, Republicans are equally as unpopular as Democrats, and many key voting demographics, including young people continue to lean heavily towards the left.
Despite these realities, the White House has taken notice. In an attempt to distance itself from progressive branding and political messaging that may be unpopular amongst crucial sections of moderate and independent voters, the White House recently changed its messaging on a key issue. While the administration previously supported “gender affirming” surgery and medical procedures for minors (children who wish to become transgender and “change”) their biological gender, the Biden White House has now pivoted their stance and no longer supports the highly controversial procedures for minors.
