Inside the Beltway: Trump bests Biden in 2024 presidential poll

NEWS AND OPINION:

The former president has an edge on the current president at the moment.

“Despite increased support within the Democratic Party, President Biden trails former President Trump in a hypothetical 2024 Presidential match-up, 42% to 46%; 7% would support someone else and 5% are undecided,” reports an Emerson College poll released Tuesday.

Democrats, however, appear to be standing by their man.

“While Biden’s approval has remained consistent among Democratic voters, at 77% approval in January and 78% in February, the share of Democratic voters who think Biden should be the 2024 nominee has jumped by 13 points since the January Emerson poll, from 58% to 71%. Less than a third (29%) of Democratic voters think someone else should be the Democratic nominee in 2024,” the poll analysis said.

There’s also an age-related factor at work.

“Biden’s support is highest among Democratic voters under 35: 85% of whom think he should be the nominee. This sentiment decreases to 72% of those between 35 and 49, 61% of those between 50 and 64, and increases to 67% of those over 65,” Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, said in a written statement.

See more numbers and the survey particulars in the Poll du Jour at column’s end.

MARK LEVIN’S PODCAST

The reach of talk radio host Mark Levin just got larger. He now can be heard via a new podcast channel on YouTube, according to Cumulus Media, an “audio first” company that reaches some 250 million people each month through radio broadcasts and podcasting.

“The Levin YouTube channel provides fans with a new platform to access each day’s podcast with new insights and unique commentary on the day’s top news events and issues from one of America’s preeminent constitutional experts and conservative voices,” Cumulus said in a statement.

The channel will also feature past monologues, historical insight, notable interviews, election coverage and other fare. Find the new podcast at Youtube.com/@marklevinshow.

“Having ‘The Mark Levin Show’ on another platform gives me a chance to connect with new listeners and bring fresh content to my long-time followers. I know there are a lot of different ways people find content, and this enables me to share my audio library in a creative way with a whole new audience,” Mr. Levin said, also in a statement.

He is already on 400 radio stations and hosts “Life, Liberty and Levin,” a weekly cable show on Fox News.

THE WORD IS SPREADING

Baylor University — home to some 20,000 students in Waco, Texas — has stepped up to support the faithful folk of Asbury University, where students engaged in a 24/7 public-prayer service for religious renewal in America that started Feb. 8 and just now ended.

Baylor students are now gathering nightly for “informal worship events,” according to Campus Reform, a student-written news organization.

“Facilities remain open and available for students seeking a place for prayer, worship and encouragement as we join together in praying for revival across our country,” Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone told the publication.

She also specified that she is “overjoyed to see students boldly stepping out to encourage this generation of men and women to know the transformative power of the gospel.”

Baylor students are currently organizing a 72-hour worship event to take place March 19-22 at a fountain located in the middle of the campus.

“We will be praying all day and night long, so feel free to join us as much or as little as you can between classes or late into the night as we passionately seek God together,” notes an invitation from the student organizers, published at their website — which can be found at FM72waco.com.

FOXIFIED

Fox News Channel finished the month of February besting both CNN and MSNBC in ratings throughout the day and in prime time for two consecutive years. And the prime-time numbers: Fox News averaged 2.3 million prime-time viewers that month, while MSNBC attracted 1.2 million and CNN 587,000. Fox News also aired 94 of the top 100 cable news telecasts in February.

The network has long been known as a favorite among viewers who are Republican. But that reach is expanding. According to Nielsen MRI-Simmons Fusion, Fox News also remained the most-watched network across the political spectrum, with more independents and Democrats choosing the network as their preferred network than MSNBC and CNN. Fox News was also number one in cable news with Asian and Hispanic viewers as well.

As usual, the two top programs in the Fox News lineup are “The Five” and “Tucker Carlson Tonight” — with each averaging a nightly audience of 3.3 million.

The cable news network has other news, meanwhile. Fox Weather has expanded its distribution to include Optimum, Spectrum and LG Channels, according to Sharri Berg, president of the streaming network itself.

“Fox Weather has now become a destination for viewers across many major providers with this expanded distribution,” Ms. Berg said in a written statement.

Since its launch in October 2021, Fox Weather’s distribution partners also include Verizon Fios, The Roku Channel, fuboTV, YouTube TV, Amazon News, DirecTV Stream, Xumo Play, WOW, Vidgo, TuneIn and Plex. It is available via simulcast on Fox Business Network on weekend mornings, and through Fox Television Station Diginets in top markets including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and other cities. A “diginet,” by the way, is a free-to-air subchannel available via a TV antenna.

POLL DU JOUR

• 55% of likely Republican primary voters say they would vote for former President Donald Trump when the time comes.

• 25% would vote for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

• 8% would vote for former Vice President Mike Pence.

5% would vote for former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.

• 1% would vote each for South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu.

• 4% would vote for “someone else.”

SOURCE: An Emerson College survey of 1,060 registered U.S. voters conducted Feb. 24-25.

• Follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin.