In a shocking turn, Vice President Kamala Harris is gaining ground against former US President Donald Trump, particularly in areas where Trump has historically had a strong lead. In line with a new Reuters/Ipsos surveys conducted from August 23 to August 25, Harris is closing the gap on pressing issues like crime and the market, indicating a change in voter opinion just weeks before the November election.
Trump’s benefit on financial and employment issues, again a strong pillar of his strategy, has dwindled. The poll shows 43 % of registered voters prefer Trump’s approach to the economy, while 40 % favor Harris— a margin well within the poll’s 4-point error range. This is a major change from the same survey in July, in which Harris had gained 11 points on financial issues.
On the issue of crime and corruption, the two individuals are then neck-and-neck, each garnering 40 % support from registered voters. This is a significant change from the previous quarter, when Trump held a 5-point result in this regard. Harris’s constant expansion in these usually Trump-leaning industries suggests that her campaign is winning over voters who are concerned about these crucial issues.
While Trump’s language continues to focus on the market, often criticizing the Biden administration’s handling of prices, Harris has taken a different view, promising to address price gouging and maintain household costs. This approach appears to be successful, given that vote concern for economic problems is still high, with 26 % of poll respondents citing the market as their top priority.
However, it’s not just her plan jobs that are propelling Harris ahead. According to the New Republic, she just received an unexpected boost from a group of well-known former Democratic employees who endorsed her candidacy for president rather than Trump. This partnership, consisting of thousands of employees from the George W Bush administration, as well as assistants to the later Senator John McCain and Senator Mitt Romney, penned a text declaring Trump’s administration “untenable”.
The letter, signed by 238 individuals—nearly 100 more than a similar text in 2020 — expressed their strong worries over another Trump administration. They warned that Trump’s administration would undermine American institutions and hurt everyday folks, both domestically and internationally. The support highlights a growing division in the Republican Party, as some standard conservatives feeling as though Trump’s influence and the extreme groups he has created are alienating them.
