LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — President Joe Biden's widely panned debate performance is dragging him down among voters, according to several national polls conducted after the June 27 event.
At least one poll showed him losing 2 percentage points here in Nevada, where Biden's fortunes may have implications for freshman U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen, who holds a key seat that Republicans want to flip to regain control of the upper house.
Breaking down new poll results after the presidential debate:
Democrats have been debating whether and how Biden could get out of the race, a complex process that could only happen if the president released the delegates he's already amassed.
As of Thursday, it didn't look like that was going to happen.
"So, let me say this as clearly and simply as I can: I'm running," Biden wrote in a fundraising email. "I'm the Democratic Party’s nominee. No one is pushing me out. I'm not leaving, I'm in this race to the end, and WE are going to win this election."
That email's message was a contrast to a story in the New York Times that says the president has told key allies that he knows he might not be able to salvage his campaign if he can't convince the public he's up to the job.
As of now, it seems Biden has his work cut out for him.
OpenLabs poll
A poll conducted by OpenLabs, a nonprofit that polls for Democratic groups, found a big swing in Biden voters following the debate. According to the poll, obtained by Peter Hamby at Puck.news, 40% of people who voted for Biden in 2020 now say he should end his campaign. In May, that number was just 25%.
The OpenLabs survey also found that 69% of voters are very or somewhat concerned about the impact of Biden's age on his ability to carry out the duties of his office.
And the poll found Biden had lost ground across all battleground states, falling about 2 percentage points behind his pre-debate numbers. Here in Nevada, Biden lost nearly 2 percentage points, and now trails former President Donald Trump 44.2% to 35.4%.
CBS News/You Gov poll
In a poll conducted immediately after the debate, Democratic registered voters shifted considerably from the last survey in February. Back then, they said Biden should be running for president by a margin of 64% to 36%.
But after the debate, that changed to 54% saying he should be running, with 46% saying he should not.
That portion of the poll carried a margin of error of plus or minus 6.8 percentage points.
The shift was even more stark among registered voters, where just 28% said Biden should be running, while 72% said he should not. Back in February, 37% said he should be running, while 63% said he shouldn't.
That question on the poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.2 percentage points.
Among those who said Biden should not be running, 86% cited the president's age. He's 81 now, and would be 86 at the end of a second term if he's re-elected.
New York Times/Sienna College poll
The latest survey found Trump had widened his lead over Biden nationally, with Trump at 49% and Biden at 43% among likely voters.
Before the debate, the survey found Democrats saying Biden should be the party's nominee by a margin of 52% to 45% who preferred a different nominee. After the debate, that shifted to 48% in favor, and 47% wanting a different nominee.
That portion of the poll carries a margin of error of 2.8 percentage points.
By contrast, 80% of Republicans thought Trump should remain the Republican nominee before the debate, rising to 83% afterwards.
Wall Street Journal poll
The Journal reported Wednesday that Trump now enjoys a 6-point lead over Biden, 48% to 42%. In February, the lead was just 2 percentage points, the Journal said.
The survey found nearly half — 47% — would replace both candidates in the race if they could.
Nevada impact
Biden's national troubles can have an impact on Nevada races, most specifically Rosen's re-election.
So far, Rosen has outperformed Biden in polls. The most recent Real Clear Politics average has her leading her GOP opponent, Sam Brown, 44.8% to 39%.
By contrast, Trump leads Biden in Nevada 47.8% to 45%.
Although Republicans will try to link Rosen to Biden because of his unpopularity, she has maintained a distance from the president, touting her bipartisan bona fides. (Rosen has been ranked No. 5 on the Common Ground Scorecard and the Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University listed her at No. 6 on its bipartisan index.)
Rosen has been largely silent on Biden's debate performance, issuing a generic statement that didn't mention the president's name. But that's to be expected, given that she can't change the top of the ticket and will have to run under whoever is the party's nominee in November.
But Biden's earliest Nevada supporter, Rep. Dina Titus, said Wednesday that while Biden's debate performance was bad, people should focus on the president's record, including COVID relief and infrastructure spending.
"We've got to stop focusing on the superficial and focus on the consequential," Titus said in an interview with Channel 13. "One debate does not a campaign make."
Titus said it's now up to Biden to demonstrate to voters that he's up to the job, by public appearances, interviews and town halls that show he can interact with people in unscripted environments. But she said that had to happen immediately, if Biden was to save his campaign from flagging public support and skepticism.
The president was already at work doing that: On Wednesday, he met with Democratic governors in Washington. He's scheduled for campaign appearances in battleground Wisconsin and Pennsylvania at the end of the week.
And he will sit down with ABC News's George Stephanopoulos for an interview set to air on Friday. Viewers can see that interview in an ABC News special report at 8 p.m. on Channel 13.
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