New polls suggest former US President Donald Trump is narrowly ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris in the race for the White House.
According to the latest surveys conducted by the Wall Street Journal and Forbes/HarrisX, former US President Donald Trump is leading Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential race by a small margin.
Harris became the presumptive Democratic nominee last week after President Joe Biden withdrew his candidacy and endorsed her. Earlier this week, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed Harris leading Trump by two points. However, the subsequent surveys show a reversed outcome.
The WSJ survey, released on Friday, puts Trump at 49% and Harris at 47%. The poll, which surveyed 1,000 registered voters, was conducted between July 23 and July 25.
The HarrisX/Forbes online poll, conducted between Monday and Wednesday, also shows a two-point gap, with Trump at 47% and Harris at 49%. The survey, which involved 3,013 registered voters, also revealed overwhelming support (81%) for Biden’s decision to withdraw from 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 his decision to end his reelection campaign on July 21, after weeks of growing concerns among Democrats and party donors regarding 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.
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.