Capitol Report: Biden takes 14-point lead over Trump in CNN poll as protests shake U.S.

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Former Vice President Joe Biden took a 14-point lead over President Donald Trump in a new CNN poll focused on the November presidential election, amid protests around the U.S. and the coronavirus pandemic.

Taken June 2-5 among 1,259 adults (including 1,125 registered voters), the survey shows 41% backing Trump — the lowest in CNN’s tracking of this question back to April 2019 — and 55% for Biden. That’s Biden’s highest mark yet.

The poll came as the death of George Floyd, a black man who died May 25 after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into his neck even after he stopped responding, inspired protests around the U.S. and internationally.

Voters gave Biden a roughly two-to-one advantage over Trump on handing race relations in the poll, and the former vice president is strongly preferred among black voters. Biden plans to meet with Floyd’s family on Monday.

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Trump, meanwhile, leads on another key issue: the economy. The president, who on Friday hailed the stronger-than-expected May jobs report and stock-market SPX, +0.43% gains, narrowly topped Biden on who is more trusted to handle the economy, 51%-46%.

The CNN poll is the latest in a series of surveys that show Biden leading Trump nationally. An average of general-election polls from RealClearPolitics shows Biden ahead of Trump by nearly 8 points. Biden also leads Trump in Florida, Pennsylvania and other battleground states.

Trump — who may this week address the country on race and unity — blasted the CNN poll as “fake”:

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