2024 election poll: Here's how Rhode Islanders feel about Biden, Trump and college protests

Katherine Gregg, Providence Journal

Even in deep-Blue Rhode Island, there are warning signs for President Joe Biden's reelection.

Former President Donald Trump is deeply unpopular in the Ocean State - and more than half of likely Rhode Island voters plan to vote for Biden in November.

But 57% disapprove of Biden's performance as president, particularly his handling of immigration, foreign policy and support of Israel, according to a newly released poll by the University of New Hampshire survey center.

Two-thirds of Rhode Islanders support demonstrators on campuses carrying out strikes or walkouts.

But they find it unacceptable to put up tents (53%), occupy buildings (66%), or state that Israel has no right to exist (76%).

The survey was conducted online between May 16-24 of 538 likely Rhode Island general election voters and 627 potential voters overall.

The margin of error was plus or minus 4.2% for the likely voter sample. By way of comparison, Democrat Biden beat Trump 59.4% to 38.6% in Rhode Island in 2020.

Former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden are heading toward a rematch in 2024.
Former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden are heading toward a rematch in 2024.

Other poll findings:

  • If the election were held today: 52% would vote for Biden, 33% for former President Donald Trump, 6% for Independent Robert F. Kennedy and 2% or less were for a lesser known or another unspecified candidate.

  • 5% of respondents were unsure

  • Those who identified temselves as "unaffiliated voters" - R.I.'s largest voting bloc - voters favored Trump (44%) over Biden (30%) and RFK (11%).

  • 62% overall have an unfavorable opinion of Trump but almost all self-described conservatives favored him

  • 93% of self-described liberals and 91% of progressives favored Biden

  • Kennedy draws support from self-described socialists (18%) and libertarians (13%)

  • Women prefer Biden: More than two-thirds of women in Rhode Island support Biden, only 34% of men.

  • Trump leads in one age group: Trump has a slight lead in voters 35-49 years old,

  • Biden leads in all other age groups: Biden leads in every other age group

  • Support split down education levels: Biden leads in every education level except those with a high school education or less, who favor Trump.

  • Most believe Trump is guilty: Nearly-two thirds believe Trump is guilty in the "hush money” case playing out in New York, where he has been accused of falsifying business records to pay a porn star Stormy Daniels for her silence in the run up to the 2016 election, though an overwhelming number of Republicans – who make up a small slice of the Rhode Island – disagree.

  • Among those who do not support Trump, 91% believe a Trump victory would be a threat to American Democracy.

  • Conversely, 79% of those who oppose Biden view his potential win as the threat to Democracy.

  • Support of Israel-Hamas War protests: Rhode Islanders generally support demonstrators on campuses carrying out strikes or walkouts in protest of Israeli conduct in the current war in Gaza (65%), but think it is unacceptable to put up tents, occupy buildings, or state that Israel has no right to exist.

  • Breaking it down further: 51% believe the students and public have the right to set up encampments on campus, as long as the protests remain peaceful, but 47% believe university officials have the right to remove the encampments by force if necessary.

Questions about the economy:

The UNH Survey Center released a second set of questions about consumer confidence and Biden’s handling of the economy on Friday.

Among the top findings:

  • State of their finances: "Nearly half of Rhode Island residents say that they are worse off financially than a year ago and a majority think now is a bad time to buy a major household item."

  • State of the national economy, by party: Republicans and those calling themselves Independents "are far more negative than Democrats about their personal finances, the state economy, and the national economy and the majority disapprove of how President Biden in handling the economy."

  • Rhode Island's economy: "Rhode Islanders are somewhat positive about the state’s economy in the coming year."

  • What can Biden do to improve the economy?: "Rhode Islanders most often mention reducing inflation or raising taxes on the wealthy or corporations."

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: UNH 2024 election poll shows how RI feels about Biden, Trump

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