A recent poll indicates that Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s independent bid for the presidency could have a greater impact on former President Donald Trump's numbers than on President Joe Biden's. The poll, conducted by NBC News, shows that in a one-on-one matchup, Trump narrowly edges out Biden by a margin of 46% to 44%. However, when Kennedy is added to the equation, Biden takes the lead with 39% against Trump's 37%, followed by Kennedy at 13%.

This finding contradicts other polling results and comes at a time when the race between Biden and Trump is tightening. According to the latest RealClearPolitics aggregate of polls, Trump's lead over Biden nationally has slipped to just 0.4 percentage points. However, when Kennedy, as well as Jill Stein and Cornel West, are included in the mix, Trump's lead jumps to 1.3 percentage points.

For Kennedy to qualify for the presidential debates, he would need to reach a polling threshold of 15%. The NBC poll reveals that 15% of those who switched their support to Kennedy initially chose Trump in the one-on-one matchup, whereas only 7% initially chose Biden.

It is worth noting that Kennedy enjoys greater popularity among Republicans, with 40% holding a positive view of him compared to 15% who view him negatively. In contrast, Democrats have a less favorable opinion of Kennedy, with only 16% having a positive view compared to 53% who hold a negative view.

Both the Trump and Biden campaigns have expressed concerns about Kennedy potentially serving as a spoiler in the November 5th presidential election. To compound matters, last Thursday, more than a dozen members of the Kennedy family officially endorsed Biden's reelection bid, warning about the implications of voting for their relative in the critical 2024 election.

Kennedy, who started his 2024 campaign as a Democrat before switching to independent last year, has been labeled by Trump as the "most radical left candidate." Trump has cautioned his supporters against backing Kennedy.

The poll also highlighted the significance of safeguarding democracy as a pressing issue for a substantial portion of the electorate. When respondents were asked about the most important issue facing the country, 16% cited threats to democracy, while 23% mentioned inflation, 22% mentioned border issues, 11% mentioned jobs and the economy, and 6% selected abortion.

Biden has centered much of his 2024 campaign on protecting democracy while emphasizing his plans for economic recovery. However, the poll indicates a growing disillusionment among voters, with only 64% expressing a high level of interest in the upcoming presidential election. This represents a significant decline compared to prior elections at this stage, with 77% in 2020, 69% in 2016, 67% in 2012, and 74% in 2007. The finding marks a 20-year low in voter interest.

The NBC poll, conducted from April 12 to 16, surveyed 1,000 registered voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.