Trump calls Fox News polling 'terrible' as Biden opens 12-point lead

Joe Biden: 'I'm ready on day one. After more than three years in office, why isn't Donald Trump ready?'

Donald Trump lashed out at Fox News, a typically friendly cable news network, on Friday by calling its polling arm "terrible" as a new survey suggested he faces an uphill fight in his re-election bid.

Former Vice President Joe Biden continues taking steps to cement himself as the favourite to win the White House come November, opening up a 12-point lead over Donald Trump.

Mr Biden leads the incumbent, who is wrapping a particularly rough week, 50 per cent to 38 per cent, according to a new Fox News poll.

".@FoxNews is out with another of their phony polls, done by the same group of haters that got it even more wrong in 2016. Watch what happens in November. Fox is terrible!" the president tweeted during a morning barrage on social media.

The president has railed against the polling staff at Fox News, suggesting it is biased against him. He has done the same about the network's daytime weekend hosts, grouping them in with other networks as "fake news."

The newest version of the Fox poll shows Mr Biden has widened his national lead over Mr Trump. Last month, the longtime Delaware senator led Mr Trump 48 per cent to 40 per cent.

Independents, a key voting bloc in several crucial swing states, say they support Mr Biden 39 per cent to 17 percent -- but nearly half say they remain undecided.

Notably, Mr Trump's approval rating remained steady from the May version of the Fox poll, with 44 per cent saying they approve; but over half, 55 per cent, disapprove.

Mr Biden also got the edge in the Fox poll in several telling categories.

When asked which candidate "cares about people like me," 49 per cent went with the former VP compared to 39 per cent who pointed to the president.

The survey suggests more voters like Mr Biden.

The president's favourability numbers are underwater: 43 percent find him favourable while 56 do not. For Mr Biden, 53 per cent called him favourable, while 44 per cent did not.

Mr Biden has spent much of June arguing Mr Trump's responses to the coronavirus outbreak and the protests against perceived racial injustice show he, more than three years into his term, is not fit for his office.

"I'm ready on day one," the former Veep tweeted on Thursday. "After more than three years in office, why isn't Donald Trump ready?