The former US president is ahead of his Democratic rival by two points, new surveys show
Former US President Donald Trump is narrowly leading over Vice President Kamala Harris in the race for the White House, according to the latest polls by the Wall Street Journal and Forbes/HarrisX.
Harris became the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee just last week after President Joe Biden withdrew his candidacy and endorsed her instead. The Reuters/Ipsos poll released in the beginning of this week showed Harris’ two-point lead over Trump. The surveys published afterwards reveal a reversed ratio.
The WSJ survey released on Friday has Trump at 49% and Harris at 47%. The poll was conducted between July 23 and July 25 and involved 1,000 registered voters.
The HarrisX/Forbes online poll of 3,013 registered voters, which was carried out between Monday and Wednesday, produced the same two-point gap, with Trump at 47% and Harris at 9%. The survey also relieved an overwhelming support (81%) for Biden’s decision to quit the race.
“Vice President Harris has energized the Democratic base, growing the lead with suburban women and closing the gap with independents,” HarrisX CEO Dritan Nesho said. “She is still struggling with African American men, and Trump overall still has a more consolidated base of voters.”
Nesho argued that Biden’s decision to drop out has made the race “competitive” again.
Biden announced that he was ending his reelection campaign on July 21, after weeks after weeks of growing concerns among Democrats and party donors over his declining health and ability to defeat Trump in November. Initially defiant, Biden argued that the move was necessary, given the high stakes of the election. “Nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy. That includes personal ambition,” he said during his address from the Oval Office on Wednesday.
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The Harris campaign has reported an influx of donations, receiving $81 million in contributions in the 24 hours since Biden’s endorsement. It is expected that the Democrats will officially nominate Harris during the party convention next month.