The Donald Trump stronghold, Florida, appears to be slipping as recent polls suggest a tightening race with President Joe Biden.
Knewz.com has learned that this development has raised questions about the once solidly Republican state’s political orientation.
Recent surveys show a dwindling gap between Trump and Biden, with the most alarming data for the Trump campaign coming from two major polls released in June.
Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and Mainstreet Research's poll conducted on June 8 and 9 among 883 registered Florida voters, found Trump leading Biden by a slim four-point margin—46% to Biden’s 42%. This contrasted sharply with April's poll results from the same institution, which had Trump standing at 50% against Biden’s 42%.
Dukhong Kim, an associate professor of political science at FAU, commented on the poll's results, noting that they “suggest Biden has made modest gains and kept the race competitive in the nation's largest swing state,” per FAU.
Echoing similar findings, a separate poll by Fox News conducted from June 1 to 4 among 1,075 registered Florida voters and executed by Shaw & Company Research, showed the exact four-point lead for Trump in a direct contest with Biden.
With independent candidates factored in, Trump’s lead expands. He holds 47%, while Biden garners 40%, with prominent independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at 7%, Cornel West of the People's Party at 2%, and Green Party's Jill Stein at 1%.
Trump's lead in Florida garnered a further perspective with a recent Tyson Group poll, surveying 1,050 likely voters from June 6 to 9, placing Trump at 46% versus Biden’s 36%, expanding his margin significantly.
Former President Trump’s spokesperson, Steven Cheung, responded to the FAU poll with a firm declaration, “President Trump continues to dominate Crooked Joe Biden both nationally and in battleground states,” he said via Newsweek.
Despite drawing optimism from Trump’s campaign, Florida’s standing appears less definitive.
Analysis from poll tracker FiveThirtyEight shows Trump leading an average of 45.3% in Florida while Biden trails at 36.6%, with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gathering 7.8%.
Political analysts and campaign strategists are parsing these numbers closely, considering Florida's electoral weight and potential to sway the national result.
For Trump, losing even marginal support is expected to create broader troubles, underscoring a need to reinforce his position among Floridian voters. Conversely, Biden’s narrow gains indicate potential volatility and an opportunity to recapture or at least challenge Republican dominance in the state.