A new ABC News/Washington Post poll has thrown a big jet of cold water on President Biden’s nascent re-election bid – showing him losing in face-offs with Donald Trump or Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

In two 2024 matchups, here’s how things stack up among Americans who say they would “definitely” or “probably” vote for a given candidate:

Trump 44% Biden 38%. Undecideds lean Trump 49-42.

DeSantis 42%, Biden 37%. Undecided edges DeSantis 48-41

That’s not all: Biden’s approval rating fell 6 points from his February level to hit an all-time low of just 36%. Against the record going back to Truman, that is worst score for any first-term president at this point in his term. Three predecessors who were in the same ballpark: Ford (40%), Carter (37%) and Trump (39%) failed to win second terms.

Biden and DeSantis are the two front-runners for Biden, but taking into account a selection of the 6 best-known Republican prospects, Trump defeats DeSantis among GOP voters 51% to 25% (Getty Images via WESH)

The Biden administration’s overemphasis on race in all sorts of political nominations and appointments has done nothing to improve its standing with blacks. In the most puzzling of the new survey results, Biden’s approval rating among blacks has dropped a staggering 30% since his inauguration, which plummeted from 82% to 52%.

Towards 2024, watch for Biden to hang an empty promise on reparations over the heads of black voters, just as he hit younger Americans with a bogus loan forgiveness headline ahead of the 2022 midterms.

A whopping 56% disapprove of what Biden has done in office, and his perceived handling of the economy is a big reason. In a 54% to 36% defeat, Trump is seen as having done a better job with the economy. The ball and chain of the economy will only get heavier for Biden as we head into the dark seas ahead.

Biden’s age is clearly undermining public trust. A full 68% of Americans think Biden, 80, is too old for a second term. He is 80 today and would be 86 at the end of another term, assuming he lived to see it. While Trump is only four years younger, only 44% of Americans think he is too old.

Biden was perplexed when a child asked where he had last traveled abroad, forgetting that he had been to Ireland just 13 days earlier. (Win McNamee/Getty Images via Fox News)

It’s not just age that worries Americans, it’s also Biden’s observed condition. Only 32% believe he has the mental acuity to be an effective president. Trump’s score for having the necessary sharpness has increased, to 54% today, from 46% in 2020. When it comes to fitness, only 33% give Biden the thumbs up. Trump nearly doubles that, with 64% saying he’s fit enough.

Even the Blue Team is groaning in anticipation of a 2024 Biden bid: Only 36% of Democrats want Biden to be re-nominatedwith 58% wanting someone else.

There is also bad news for Trump, as 56% say he should face charges related to alleged illegal attempts to overturn the 2020 election results, and 54% believe he should face criminal charges for handling classified documents and his actions related to the January 6 riots. 41% believe Biden is honest and trustworthy, compared to 33% for Trump.

As much as these new results are likely to dent Democrats’ confidence, those hoping for a Republican takeover of the White House should remember that many midterm polls pointed to a red wave that never materialized.

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