In a recent series of polls conducted after the assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, former President Trump has expanded his lead over President Biden. According to a survey released by CBS News, 52 percent of likely voters now choose Trump as their preferred candidate, while 47 percent favor Biden. This represents an increase for Trump, who had garnered 50 percent support in a previous survey conducted on July 3. On the other hand, Biden's numbers dropped by 1 percent.

Despite Biden performing better in battleground states, he still trails behind Trump. Of the likely voters in these states, 51 percent stated their preference for Trump, compared to 48 percent for Biden. The survey also asked respondents about their reaction to Trump's handling of the assassination attempt, with most indicating that it had no impact on their voting decision. However, 26 percent stated that they were now more inclined to consider voting for Trump, while 7 percent expressed being less likely to do so.

Biden's lackluster debate performance last month has raised concerns among Democrats regarding his ability to defeat Trump in the upcoming election and serve another four years if reelected. The survey found that even if Vice President Harris were the nominee, Trump would still maintain a lead with 51 percent of likely voters' support, while Biden or Harris would receive 48 percent.

Another poll conducted by Morning Consult revealed similar trends, showing that Trump's lead has widened since the assassination attempt. In this poll, 46 percent of respondents expressed their intention to vote for Trump, while 42 percent indicated support for Biden. Additionally, 8 percent of respondents stated they would vote for someone else, and 5 percent remained undecided.

Interestingly, independent voters leaned towards Trump in both surveys, with 38 percent supporting his reelection bid compared to 32 percent favoring Biden. 18 percent of independent voters were inclined to vote for another candidate, while 12 percent remained undecided.

The CBS News survey involved 2,247 registered voters and was conducted from July 16-18, with a margin of error of 2.7 percentage points. On the other hand, the Morning Consult survey encompassed 9,414 registered voters and took place from July 15-17, with a margin of error of 1 percentage point. These polls indicate a significant shift in public sentiment and could hold implications for the upcoming election.