US Vice President Kamala Harris is narrowly ahead of rival former US President Donald Trump in a national presidential poll released on Tuesday, one of the first major polls conducted since President Joe Biden “dropped out” of the presidential race.
Harris has a slight lead over Trump with 44 percent to her 42 percent, according to the Reuters/Ipsos poll. The poll was conducted two days after Biden announced on Sunday that he was dropping out of the race and endorsing his vice president. “Today, I fully endorse and support Kamala to be this year’s party’s nominee. Democrats, it’s time to unite and defeat Trump,” Biden said in a statement.
A poll last week had Harris and Trump tied at 44% each, but new polls show that the race remains tight between Harris, 59, and Trump, now 78 and the older man in the presidential race.
A separate survey, also released on Tuesday, showed Harris narrowly behind Trump. Both results were within the poll’s margin of error and point to a tight race.
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Trump narrowly edges Harris in PBS News poll
The recent surveys came after political milestones such as the Republican National Convention, where Trump formally accepted his party’s presidential nomination, and Biden’s withdrawal from the race. Buoyed by enthusiasm among Democratic voters following the electoral upheaval, Harris’ performance in these polls suggests she has effectively neutralized the typical post-convention surge that candidates usually receive.
A PBS News/NPR/Marist poll on Monday showed Trump winning narrowly among registered U.S. voters with 46% and Harris with 45%, with 9% remaining undecided. When third-party candidates and independents are included, Trump and Harris are both tied at 42%, with the other candidates far behind.
The PBS News poll also found that 87% of Americans believe Biden’s decision to drop out was the right one, a sentiment that cut across party and generational lines. Additionally, 41% of respondents believe Biden’s decision will improve the Democratic Party’s chances of victory in November, compared with 24% who believe it will make it less likely and 34% who believe it will make no difference.
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The poll was conducted after Trump “miraculously” survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania on July 13.
