(NewsNation) — Voters disagree about independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s political leanings, and they plan to tune in for the presidential debates, according to the latest NewsNation/Decision Desk HQ poll released Wednesday.
A national poll of 1,000 registered voters was conducted between May 28 and 29. The overall results have a roughly 3% margin of error, and survey questions took America’s temperature on issues including the economy, presidential debates and the nation’s perception of Kennedy.
The independent candidate polled behind President Joe Biden and presumptive GOP nominee former President Donald Trump, but he garnered support from about 33% of voters, the poll found. About 45% said they had an unfavorable view of Kennedy, while another 22% of voters were unsure.
The poll was conducted before a jury convicted Trump of falsifying business records. Since then, 10% of registered Republican voters said they were less likely to vote for the former president, a separate Reuters/Ipsos poll found.
According to the NewsNation/Decision Desk HQ poll, Americans’ perceptions of Kennedy’s political views were mixed, too. Thirty percent of respondents said his beliefs are moderate, while liberals viewed him as more conservative and vice versa.
Independents, like Republicans, view the candidate as more liberal. For now, that divide is working in his favor as he pulls support from different groups, said Scott Tranter, the director of data science for Decision Desk HQ.
Although Kennedy isn’t qualified in enough states to win the presidency, “he’s going to be a decision-maker in terms of what candidate’s votes he takes away from,” Tranter said.
“If he pulls 4 or 5 points away from Trump, or 4 or 5 points away from Joe Biden in a state like Pennsylvania, that could be the difference-maker in an election,” he said.
Kennedy remains most popular among Republican, Hispanic and young voters, poll results show.
Young voters are more likely to support Kennedy. About 47% of survey respondents aged 18 to 34 said they back the candidate.
Forty-seven percent of Hispanic voters also voiced their support for Kennedy — the highest among all the ethnicities polled.
As the nation advances toward the 2024 election cycle, voters are eager to watch the presidential debates, where they’ll be listening for candidates’ thoughts on the economy, poll results show.
About 78% of voters say they have plans to watch the debate. This is especially true among Hispanic voters (89%), young voters (85%) and those who cast either Republican (81%) ballots or Democrat (80%) ballots.
Voters hoping to hear from Kennedy at each debate may be disappointed, however. Kennedy filed a federal complaint in late May alleging Biden’s and Trump’s campaigns have colluded with CNN to keep him from participating in upcoming televised debates.
To that end, the majority of voters (65%) believe independent and third-party candidates should be allowed to participate in debates.
They’re split, however, on whether they trust debate moderators to treat candidates fairly.
Most voters, 57%, believe moderators will be fair, while 43% disagree. That’s unsurprising given the American public’s overall declining trust in news media, Tranter said.
As for what the candidates should debate, American voters want to hear about the economy.
Overall, poll results show that 58% of voters report living paycheck to paycheck. Compared to other age groups, those in the 18-34 age group face the greatest financial struggles. Hispanic and African American voters are also struggling more than their peers, with 78% and 68% of respondents cutting back on spending, respectively.
A plurality of voters blames Biden for the state of the economy. Forty-two percent of voters say that Biden is responsible for the state of the economy. Nearly 30% of Democratic respondents believed Republicans in Congress are most responsible for the current state of the economy, and only 24% blamed Biden. Republicans say the opposite is true.
Sixty-eight percent of Republican respondents said Biden was responsible for the economy, while 13% said Democrats in Congress are at fault.
“We’ve seen some of this in some outside focus where people say yes, I’m employed, but I feel like I’m making less than I was before,” Tranter said. “And that’s just because they’re making good money, but it’s not as good money anymore because the stuff they’re buying every day costs more.”