A poll has found that former first lady Michelle Obama is the only Democrat who can beat Donald Trump if President Joe Biden drops out of the race.
In a hypothetical contest between Trump and several potential Democratic nominees in November, Obama was the only candidate with a clear lead over Trump, according to an Ipsos/Reuters poll published on Wednesday.
Nearly 50% said they would vote for Obama, while only 39% said they would vote for Trump. The rest said they either didn’t know or wouldn’t vote.
The poll also shows that Biden, whose candidacy is in doubt after last week’s disastrous debate with Trump, is tied with Republicans at 40% to 40%.
Other potential Democratic candidates received fewer votes than Trump, including Vice President Kamala Harris trailing Trump at 43%–42%, California Governor Gavin Newsom at 42%–39%, and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer at 41%–36%.
However, Obama is unlikely to challenge Trump, as the former first lady has repeatedly ruled out standing for the post.
As recently as March, in a statement to NBC News, she said she would not contest the election.
“As former First Lady Michelle Obama has expressed many times over the past several years, she will not be running for president,” her communications director said. “Mrs. Obama supports the re-election campaigns of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.”
The statement comes in response to speculation that she could replace Biden as the Democratic nominee this year.
Obama has long been one of the most popular political figures in the US, campaigning for issues such as healthy eating and gender equality.
In 2020, Biden said he would “immediately” pick her as his vice presidential running mate if she decided to run.
Obama campaigned for Biden in 2020, delivering a keynote address at the DNC convention in which he warned about the dangers of a second Trump term. He maintained a low profile during this year’s election, but was expected to campaign for Biden during the final stretch of the election.
Her husband, former President Barack Obama, has stood by Biden despite his poor performance in the debate, but has privately commented that the debate has made Biden’s path to reelection more difficult, the Washington Post reported.
