Poll: Trump tops Biden in Michigan, but not Whitmer

Former President Donald Trump leads President Joe Biden by 8 percentage points in Michigan but trails state Gov. Gretchen Whitmer by 4 percentage points in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup, according to a poll released Wednesday commissioned by the Detroit News and WDIV-TV.

The poll, conducted by Michigan-based Glengariff Group from Jan. 2 to Jan. 6 among 600 likely general election voters, found that Trump trailed Whitmer, 45% to 49%, but led Biden, 47% to 39%.

“If I were a Democrat in Michigan, I would be breaking the emergency fire alarms in the White House and demanding to know what the plan is for Michigan,” Richard Czuba, founder of Glengariff Group, told the News. “Because these numbers are very bad for any incumbent of any party.”

Other findings of the poll include:

• Just 17% said Biden deserved another term to lead the country, while 77% said they wanted a different leader.
• 33% said Trump deserves a second term, while 62% said they would prefer someone else.
• 29% of participants had a favorable impression of Biden, but 58% had an unfavorable impression.
• 50% said they “strongly” disapproved of the job Biden is doing as president. Another 11% said they somewhat disapprove for a total disapproval percentage of 61%. Just 35% said they approve of Biden’s performance.

Biden beat Trump in Michigan in 2020 by 3 percentage points, 51% to 48%. Whitmer, who won reelection in 2022, has said she is not running for president and instead supports Biden’s campaign.

“I’m supporting the president because he’s got a record. He’s gotten things done, and he cares about the average person,” Whitmer told MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell in August last year.