Former President Donald Trump has established a slim lead over Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 race, according to a new Wall Street Journal poll. This shift reflects a favorable perception of Trump’s policies and previous tenure, contrasted with growing skepticism toward Harris. The poll shows Trump leading Harris by a narrow margin of 47% to 45%, a reversal from Harris’s 2-point advantage in August. Since both leads fall within the poll’s margin of error, the actual leader remains uncertain.
Harris’s approval ratings have declined, while Trump’s ratings have improved, the survey indicates. In August, Harris had a 50% favorability rate among voters, which has now decreased to 45%. Currently, 53% of voters view her unfavorably. Harris is experiencing her lowest job performance ratings since the Wall Street Journal began tracking this metric, with 54% disapproving and only 42% approving of her performance as vice president.
The poll also reveals that voters have more trust in Trump than Harris on key issues like the economy and immigration. Trump’s lead over Harris on economic matters has expanded to 12 points, up from 8 points in August. Regarding immigration, his advantage has more than doubled, increasing from a 7-point lead in August to a 15-point lead now. “Voters are finally getting to know her,” Republican pollster David Lee said to the WSJ, who conducted the poll. “The definitional period is coming to an end, and more people are unhappy with what they have learned about her than what they know about President Trump.”
On Thursday, Harris campaigned in Georgia alongside former President Barack Obama and musician Bruce Springsteen. Meanwhile, Trump hit the campaign trail in the West, beginning with a rally in Tempe, Arizona, followed by another rally in Las Vegas, Nevada. Both campaigns are strategically focusing on these states, with Republicans aiming to flip them. Recent state polls show tight presidential races in Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.
During a Wednesday evening CNN town hall in Delaware County, Pa., Harris faced questions from host Anderson Cooper about her past support for decriminalizing illegal immigration and providing free healthcare to undocumented individuals, which stands in stark contrast to her current advocacy for increased border security and a border wall. When asked if she now supports building the border wall, Harris responded, “I want to secure our border.” Cooper also bluntly asked how she could be running as a “change” candidate despite the fact that she has been in office for nearly four years.
“I bring a whole set of different experiences to this job and the way I think about it than Joe Biden,” Harris declared. “Some voters, though, might ask, you’ve been in the White House for four years. You were vice president, not the president. But why wasn’t any of that done for the last four years?” Cooper followed up. Harris replied with a vague, rambling answer in which she failed to answer the question. “Well, there was a lot that was done, but there’s more to do, Anderson. And I’m pointing out things that need to be done that haven’t been done, but need to be done,” she said. “And I’m not gonna shy away from saying, ‘Hey, these are still problems that we need to fix.”
Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.