FiveThirtyEight’s top politics stories this week

[FiveThirtyEight]( Popular in Politics Thursday, April, 11, 2024 [1. The less you vote, the more you back Trump]( [The less you vote, the more you back Trump]( In 2016, former President Donald Trump was a political outsider looking to win the GOP nomination for president. In part, his campaign sought to appeal to voters who were [disenchanted with politics](. [Read more]( [2. Biden has forgiven billions in student loans. Voters may not have noticed.]( [Biden has forgiven billions in student loans. Voters may not have noticed.]( Valerie Bronstein, the daughter of a single mother, was 17 and pregnant when she enrolled in a local community college in Sacramento, California, and took out student loans. "To be honest, I didn't even know what a loan was," she said, laughing at the memory. "I probably didn't even know what an interest rate was until I bought a car when I was 24 years old." All she knew at the time was that she was signing student loan and financial aid forms so that she could go to school. [Read more]( [3. See how demographic swings could impact the 2024 election]( [See how demographic swings could impact the 2024 election]( Early polling and special election results have [raised many questions]( about how the electorate might vote come November. Will younger voters [swing sharply to the right]( Might President Joe Biden [gain more ground]( among white college-educated voters? Has former President Donald Trump [made significant inroads with voters of color]( Could turnout plummet [because of unhappiness]( with a Biden-Trump rematch? Any of these developments could potentially change who wins the election. [Read more]( [4. Have Americans ever hated two candidates as much as Biden and Trump?]( [Have Americans ever hated two candidates as much as Biden and Trump?]( Shocking news: Americans are not jazzed about their choices in the 2024 presidential election. According to 538’s averages,* only 43 percent of Americans have a [favorable opinion of former President Donald Trump]( while 53 percent have an unfavorable opinion. And only 40 percent of Americans have a [favorable opinion of President Joe Biden]( 55 percent have an unfavorable one. [Read more]( [5. Trump is leading the polls, but there's plenty of time for Biden to catch up]( [Trump is leading the polls, but there's plenty of time for Biden to catch up]( If the 2024 general election were held tomorrow, President Joe Biden would probably lose to former President Donald Trump. That's because, by 538's averaging, Biden trails in every major swing state — not to mention in national polls, too. Things only get worse for him the closer you look: The incumbent president is currently [viewed more unfavorably]( than [his predecessor]( for instance, and polls show few voters are [giving Biden credit]( for an improving economy. They [trust Trump more]( to handle several issues Americans rate as the [most important to their vote]( including immigration, jobs/the economy and foreign policy. Voters are likelier to say conditions were better under the previous president and that [the current executive has made their lives worse](. [Read more]( [FiveThirtyEight] [View in browser]( [ABC News]( [Unsubscribe](