A snap poll conducted right after the Harris-Trump debate shows a surge in support for the vice president, though economic concerns still linger.
In the aftermath of Tuesday night’s debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, a quick poll revealed the current state of the presidential race, with Harris emerging as the perceived winner.
A CNN flash poll, conducted by SSRS, found that 63 percent of registered voters who watched the debate on ABC News believe Harris performed better. This figure is nearly twice as high as the 37 percent of voters who thought Trump came out on top.
The poll suggests that Harris made a strong impression on viewers, many of whom felt more aligned with her message. In fact, 44 percent of those surveyed said Harris demonstrated a better understanding of the challenges facing ordinary Americans, compared to 40 percent who favored Trump in this regard. This marks a shift from pre-debate numbers, which had 43 percent of voters thinking Trump was more in touch with their concerns, while 39 percent sided with Harris.
Harris’s favorability ratings also experienced a bump following the debate. Forty-five percent of respondents said they viewed her positively, up from 39 percent before the event. However, 44 percent still viewed her unfavorably. Trump’s favorability remained largely unchanged, with 39 percent viewing him favorably and 51 percent unfavorably.
These results highlight a modest shift towards Harris compared to before the debate, and they come at a time when national polling averages give her a 2.8-point advantage over Trump. Since late July, Harris has been gradually pulling ahead, though Trump has been making slow gains, closing the gap in recent weeks.
Despite the rise in Harris’s favorability, economic issues remain a sticking point for her campaign. The snap poll showed that 55 percent of voters believe Trump is better equipped to handle the economy, compared to just 35 percent who think Harris would do a better job, a margin that widened slightly after the debate.
Interestingly, the debate did little to shift the voting intentions of most viewers. A solid 82 percent said their choice remained unchanged following the event. Fourteen percent said the debate made them reconsider their options, but it did not alter their final decision. Only 4 percent reported changing their voting preference post-debate.
CNN noted that the poll sample had a slight Republican lean, with respondents being six points more likely to identify as Republican compared to Democratic voters, making the group around four percentage points more aligned with GOP tendencies than the overall national voter base.
One high-profile endorsement emerged after the debate: Taylor Swift publicly backed Kamala Harris for president just moments after the event concluded.
This debate marked the first face-off between Harris and Trump in the current election cycle, and possibly the last. It was also the second debate of the 2024 race, following President Joe Biden’s exit from the contest in July, just weeks after his tough showing against Trump in June.
Shortly after the debate, the Harris campaign challenged Trump to a rematch, prompting him to claim, “They want another debate because they lost.” He added that he would “think about it” when asked if he would agree to another showdown.
(Associated Medias) – All rights reserved
