The new data from the NBC News poll highlights the sharp divisions among supporters of President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, particularly in their media consumption habits and voting behavior.
Traditional news consumers, including those who rely on newspapers and national network news, overwhelmingly support Biden over Trump in a head-to-head presidential ballot test.
Trump and Biden (Credits: CNN)
Biden holds an 11-point lead among this group, reflecting their positive views of him and Vice President Kamala Harris. Conversely, digital media consumers, including those who use social media, digital websites, and YouTube/Google, are more evenly split between Biden and Trump.
Trump has a serious lead among voters who don’t follow political news at all. These voters, who may have tuned out from information about Trump’s legal challenges and other news events, show strong support for the former president.
This finding underscores the challenge of influencing the opinions of individuals who are disengaged from political news and have already made up their minds about whom to support.
Biden and Trump (Credits: CTV News)
Third-party candidates also attract support from voters who don’t follow political news closely, further complicating the electoral landscape. However, Biden’s stronger showing among traditional news consumers suggests that he has a more reliable voting bloc, as indicated by their higher turnout rates in past elections.
The data highlights the influence of media consumption habits on voter preferences and underscores the difficulty of shifting the dynamics of the presidential race based on news events, particularly among those who are less engaged with political information.
