Polls: Biden's lead over Trump extends to double digits

Between the lines: The NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll was taken after the first presidential debate, but before Trump revealed that he had tested positive for the coronavirus. 

• 49% of voters in that poll thought Biden did a better job in the debate, while 24% said the same for Trump.
• Key stat: Biden now leads Trump by 27 points among seniors (62% to 35%) — a group Trump won by 7 points in 2016.
• 67% of people want Trump and Biden to stop in-person campaign rallies, and 59% think the presidential debates should be postponed until Trump recovers from the coronavirus, according to the Reuters/Ipsos poll.

Why it matters: The new figures follow a relentless barrage of reporting and developments in the last month that have damaged Trump's re-election hopes. With 30 days to go until the election and early voting already starting, the president will be unable to campaign in person due to his COVID-19 hospitalization.

Methodology: The NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll surveyed 800 registered voters via phone on Wednesday and Thursday and has a margin of error of ±3.46 percentage points. The Reuters/Ipsos poll surveyed 1,005 U.S. adults, including 596 likely voters Oct. 2–3.