Biden may get some help from Republicans against Trump

THE HILL

President Biden’s reelection bid may be getting some help from an unlikely source: Republicans.

A slow drip of Republicans and former Trump administration officials are outright saying they would vote for Biden over former President Trump in a general election rematch, citing their belief that Trump poses a risk to U.S. democracy.

“While I’ve never voted for a Democrat a day in my life, I would support Biden over Trump if he becomes the GOP nominee. I won’t support someone who refused to participate in a peaceful transfer of power, tried to overthrow a free and fair election, and incited a mob to attack the U.S. Capitol,” Sarah Matthews, a former press aide on Trump’s 2020 campaign and in the Trump White House who resigned on Jan. 6, 2021, told The Hill.

Recent polling also showed a swath of former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley supporters in the Iowa caucuses would back Biden over Trump in a general election.

The willingness of some Republicans to cross party lines hints at what may become a key factor in November: If Trump-skeptical Republicans can swallow their concerns and back the former president, or if they vote for Biden and bolster his coalition in what will likely be a close race. 

A Decision Desk HQ average of national polling shows the former president leading Biden by roughly 1 percentage point. Recent swing state polling shows Trump leading Biden by 8 points in Michigan and Georgia, while Biden is narrowly ahead in Pennsylvania.

Strategists have said November’s election may depend on which candidate best gets out their base given the limited number of persuadable voters to chase.

“President Biden ran for president to unite the country, and has governed for all Americans with red states and blue states benefiting from the historic infrastructure legislation, lower costs on prescription drugs and a boom in manufacturing jobs,” Ammar Moussa, a Biden campaign spokesperson, said in a statement. “We welcome the support of everyone who is concerned about the existential threat that Donald Trump and extremists pose to our freedom and democracy…