Despite facing unfavorable polling results lately, former President Donald Trump might find a silver lining following Vice President Kamala Harris’s impressive debate performance.
Recent polls from after Tuesday’s debate in Philadelphia indicate a subtle shift, with Harris gaining a slight edge over Trump. Many Americans now believe that the Democratic nominee came out on top in the discussion held on September 10.
While Harris is seeing a modest rise in support, Trump still leads when it comes to voters’ trust on key issues such as the economy and immigration, both of which are high on the electorate’s agenda this election season.
The full ramifications of the debate, alongside pressing matters such as allegations surrounding Trump’s second potential assassination attempt, might not be fully captured in the recent polls. However, the data clearly reflects a small but noticeable boost for Harris.
Justin Sullivan
According to TIPP Insights, Harris’s lead increased by 1 percentage point from before to after the debate, showing a shift from 48%-45% to 47%-43% over Trump. Similarly, an Ipsos/Reuters poll indicated a similar 1-point gain for Harris, from a 4-point to a 5-point lead following the debate.
An ABC News/Ipsos poll, conducted between September 11-13, showed a 1 percent growth for Harris among all adults post-debate, though her lead over Trump among registered voters remained consistent with pre-debate findings, showing her at 52 percent to Trump’s 46.
Despite trailing Harris by 6 points overall, Trump retains a solid 7-point advantage on economic issues and a 10-point lead concerning immigration, as recorded in the polls following the debate.
Interestingly, a YouGov/Yahoo News poll, which provided Harris’s biggest boost among registered voters, indicated she led Trump 50 percent to 45 percent. Prior to this, she had a narrower margin of 47 percent to 46 percent in a poll taken shortly after her nomination at the Democratic National Convention.
While Harris’s support has grown, voters still perceive Trump as more capable of managing immigration and living costs, with margins of 47 percent to 37 percent and 42 percent to 40 percent, respectively. A YouGov poll collected around the debate time highlighted that Harris lagged on key issues including the economy, inflation, and immigration.
However, she does lead in areas such as abortion rights, environmental concerns, and health care according to other surveys, reflecting a more nuanced voter preference landscape.