Washington D.C: In a surprising twist in the race for the White House, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris has gained a significant edge over her Republican rival, former President Donald Trump, leading him by 5 percentage points in an NBC News poll released on Sunday. This survey indicates a notable increase in Harris’s favorability ratings since she became the Democratic nominee for president.
The NBC poll, which surveyed 1,000 registered voters from September 13-17, reveals that 48% of respondents view Harris positively, a remarkable rise from just 32% in July. This 16-point surge marks the largest increase in favorability among politicians since the ratings for President George W. Bush spiked following the September 11 attacks in 2001. The poll carries a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
Conversely, the same poll found that 40% of participants hold a positive view of Trump, slightly up from 38% in July. These findings align with a separate CBS News poll conducted from September 18-20, which showed Harris leading Trump by 4 percentage points among likely voters, with 52% supporting Harris compared to 48% for Trump. The CBS poll, which surveyed 3,129 registered voters, has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
These polls are consistent with other recent national surveys, including those conducted by Reuters/Ipsos, suggesting a tightly contested race as the November 5 election approaches. However, political analysts caution that while national trends are insightful, the real battleground lies in state-by-state results that will ultimately determine the outcome through the Electoral College.
Trump, 78, is pursuing his third consecutive presidential campaign after his defeat by Joe Biden in 2020. He continues to allege, without evidence, that widespread voter fraud influenced that election, while simultaneously facing multiple federal and state criminal charges related to his attempts to overturn the election results.
Harris, 59, a former U.S. senator and prosecutor currently serving under Biden, stands on the cusp of history as she seeks to become the first woman to assume the presidency in the nation’s 248-year existence. Political commentator Amy Walter, publisher and editor-in-chief of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, noted on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” “She’s been able to change this from a race that was a referendum on Joe Biden to a race that is a referendum on Donald Trump.”
The latest polling data also reflects a shift in public perception, with Harris experiencing a 2-point increase from a 50-50 split in August, buoyed by her performance in the September 10 debate and recent positive economic news. As the election date draws near, both candidates will be closely watched as they seek to secure votes in what promises to be a fiercely competitive race.
