The story behind Biden’s slight bulge is the softening of the Republican incumbent’s support among independents and “weak partisans,” said Kenneth Bryant Jr., a UT-Tyler political scientist who helped design the poll.

“While President Trump has and still enjoys near universal approval from Republicans, and overwhelming disfavor from Democrats, he has lost considerable ground among the folks in the middle, who may ultimately decide who wins Texas in November,” Bryant said…

While in April Texans were evenly divided in their appraisals of the president’s overall job performance, in the new poll, 42% approve of the job he’s doing, while 50% disapprove. On COVID-19, just 38% of state residents are pleased with Trump’s performance, with a majority (52%) disapproving. In April, 43% approved and 44% disapproved.