Trump gains ground on Biden in New York as border crisis deepens: poll

New York has seen 10,000 illegal immigrants flood into the city each month. Mayor Eric Adams has said it would destroy the city, and a recent proposal is to give out tents to illegal immigrants and let them create tent cities in parks. This is highly unpopular, as city dwellers make great use of the parks for fresh air, recreation, and a needed respite from the hustle of New York's thoroughfares and grinding lifestyle.

In September, Biden led Trump by 21 points, per a Siena College survey. But now, a new poll from Siena shows that the Republican frontrunner has made substantial gains on his incumbent opponent. Biden holds 46 percent, per the poll, to Trump's 37 percent in a head-to-head matchup, per the New York Post.

When other candidates were added to the mix, such as RFK Jr, Biden's lead continued to drop, coming in at only 7 points ahead of Trump. Democrats outnumber Republicans in the Empire State by a wide margin, more than two to one.

"If Biden is in trouble in one of the bluest states, imagine what’s happening in the rest of the country," said political strategist Hank Sheinkopf. He cited the border crisis as a reason that New Yorkers may be looking elsewhere for leadership.

"Voters are angry. It’s the migrants, the economy. People don’t think Biden is strong enough to handle the challenges. This is not good news for Democrats in New York state," Sheinkopf said.

Those in the state that had an unfavorable view of Biden is at about 55 percent, with 65 percent of New Yorkers polled saying that Biden is leading the country in the wrong direction.

During the most recent gubernatorial race in 2022, former congressman Lee Zeldin challenged Kathy Hochul, who usurped previous governor Andrew Cuomo over alleged sexual misdeeds. All charges against Cuomo were dropped once Hochul took the office in Albany. Yet, Zeldin managed to flip four seats in the US House, as part of the red wave of movement to the right during those congressional midterms.

The Siena poll surveyed 1, 225 registered voters in New York in mid-October, between October 15 and 19.