'Grim' sign for Trump as national poll shows him behind by 14 points

The poll—which showed Biden leading Trump 50% to 36%—is the latest in a string of recent surveys showing the president rapidly falling behind the presumptive Democratic nominee as voters increasingly disapprove of the incumbent's handling of the coronavirus crisis and nationwide protests over police brutality.

Last week, Trump lashed out at Fox News after a poll conducted by the right-wing outlet showed him trailing Biden by 12 points. The president dismissed the survey as "phony."

The Times described its findings "as among the most dismal showings of Mr. Trump's presidency, and a sign that he is the clear underdog right now in his fight for a second term."

"Among a striking cross-section of voters, the distaste for Mr. Trump has deepened as his administration failed to stop a deadly disease that crippled the economy and then as he responded to a wave of racial-justice protests with angry bluster and militaristic threats," the Times reported. "The dominant picture that emerges from the poll is of a country ready to reject a president whom a strong majority of voters regard as failing the greatest tests confronting his administration."

Biden, the former vice president, leads Trump in almost every category measured in the Times/Sienna College poll, including overwhelming support from women, Black and Latino voters, young voters, Independents, and voters who identify as "very liberal," "somewhat liberal," and "moderate."

The president holds a one-point lead among white voters and is far ahead of Biden among "very" and "somewhat" conservative voters. The survey found that even amid the highest unemployment rate since the Great Depression, voters still approve of Trump's handling of the economy by a margin of 50 to 45.

"Thankfully, the nation appears to increasingly recognize that Trump is a disaster... except that he still leads 50-45 on the issue of the economy," tweeted Faiz Shakir, who managed Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-Vt.) presidential campaign. "Can't let that stand."

Times reporter Nate Cohn tweeted Wednesday that "just out of academic curiosity," he "spent some time yesterday seeing whether there were really any serious choices in weighting or design that might have led to even a modestly better picture for the president."

"I've got nothing," Cohn said.