Shortly before the eagerly awaited TV debate between Republican ex-President Donald Trump and his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris, the two US presidential candidates are still roughly neck and neck in polls. However, a new survey is likely to be seen as a warning sign by the Democrat’s campaign team.
In a survey of likely voters commissioned by the New York Times, support for Trump is at 48 percent, while Harris is at 47 percent. Looking at all registered voters, Harris is at 46 percent and Trump is at 48 percent. The gap is within the margin of error of 3 percent.
Trump may have had a tough month following US President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race, but the poll shows that his support is remarkably stable, the newspaper said. The results of the poll are likely to “bring the Democrats back down to earth”.
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TV debate will be a test for Harris
Before the presidential election on November 5, pretty much every new poll in the USA makes headlines. The current poll is attracting particular attention because it is the first time in about a month that it has shown a lead for Trump in a large, non-partisan national poll. However, it is not possible to say at this point whether support for Harris has stalled and the hype surrounding her has died down since she entered the race. More polls are needed for that. The new poll underscores the risks and potential opportunities that Harris faces in the TV debate on September 10 (local time/September 11 CEST), according to the New York Times.
Surveys with limited significance
An analysis by the US broadcaster CNN of several surveys conducted since the Democratic Party convention in August also shows a close race between the 59-year-old Harris and the 78-year-old Trump, with no clear frontrunner. According to the survey, Harris has 49 percent of support, Trump 47 percent. Because of the special electoral system in the USA, national surveys are only a barometer of the mood anyway. It is important to look at the so-called swing states. In these hotly contested states, it is not clear in advance whether the Republican or Democratic candidate will win by tradition. Here, too, Trump and Harris are still roughly neck and neck.
Big stage in Philadelphia
The upcoming TV debate will be the first time the Republican and Democrat will face each other on stage in the election campaign. Both campaign teams had previously argued about the rules. For Trump, this is already the second presidential TV debate in this election campaign. In June, he stood on a stage in Atlanta, Georgia, with then-presidential candidate Biden. Biden’s performance was so disastrous that the 81-year-old ultimately sent his vice president Harris into the presidential race as his successor. She will now face Trump in Philadelphia in the swing state of Pennsylvania.
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