WASHINGTON: A recent opinion poll from CNN is likely to give a boost to presidential aspirations of Indian-American Republican candidate Nikki Haley. At the same time, it's providing bad news of US President Joe Biden and Republican front runner Donald Trump.
According to the poll, Indian-American Nikki Haley has emerged as the sole Republican presidential candidate who could potentially defeat President Joe Biden in the 2024 US elections.
In the CNN/SSRS poll released on Thursday, Haley, the only female contender in the Republican race, held a six-percentage-point lead over Biden. In a hypothetical matchup between the two, President Biden trailed Haley by 49 percent to 43 percent.
The report noted that "hypothetical matchups suggest there would be no clear leader should Biden face one of the other major Republican contenders, with one notable exception: Biden runs behind former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley."
Haley's campaign celebrated these poll results, stating, "This poll confirms what many Democrats and Republicans are saying: Democrats are terrified of running against Nikki Haley."
Ken Farnaso, Haley's press secretary, commented on the CNN poll, saying, "Nikki Haley is our best hope in taking back the White House. We only have one shot. It’s time to play to win."
Following her participation in the first Republican primary debate last month, Haley told CBS News that she, rather than Trump, will be the party's presidential nominee in 2024.
According to the CNN polls, other Republican candidates polled closely with Biden. For instance, former President Donald Trump, who is leading in the party primary, garnered 47 percent of support against Biden's 46 percent in a potential rematch.
In a Trump vs. Biden rematch, 47 percent of those polled favored the former President, while 46 percent supported Biden.
Regarding a matchup against any Democratic nominee, 44 percent of respondents believed Trump would be a better choice, while 38 percent favored the Democratic pick.
Former Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Tim Scott each received 46 percent of support compared to Biden's 44 percent. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie received 44 percent, while Biden secured 42 percent.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy both tied with Biden at 47 percent versus 46 percent, respectively.
