Category: Cover

Trump Narrowly Leads Harris in Key Battleground States, Polls Show Tied Race in Wisconsin

Staff ReporterUSA, Cover 0

Former President Trump holds a narrow lead over Vice President Harris, the anticipated Democratic presidential nominee, in several crucial battleground states, with the two candidates tied in Wisconsin, as revealed by recent polls.

The survey, conducted by Emerson College Polling and The Hill, and released on Thursday, shows Trump ahead of Harris by 5 points in Arizona, with 49 percent to Harris’s 44 percent. In Georgia, Trump leads by 2 points, at 48 percent to 46 percent; in Michigan, he leads by 1 point, at 46 percent to 45 percent; in Pennsylvania, by 2 points, at 48 percent to 46 percent. In Wisconsin, both candidates are tied at 47 percent.

In every state except Arizona, the polling results fall within the survey’s margin of error, indicating that the races in most battleground states could be even closer than they appear.

Notably, Harris is outperforming President Biden in each of these battleground states, according to a similar survey from earlier this month. She surpasses Biden by 5 points in Georgia, 4 points in Arizona and Wisconsin, and 3 points in Michigan and Pennsylvania.

A national poll aggregate compiled by The Hill and Decision Desk HQ shows Trump leading Harris by roughly 48 percent to 46 percent as of Wednesday afternoon. This is a narrower margin compared to Trump’s lead over Biden, which stands at 47 percent to 43 percent.

Vice President Harris has been actively campaigning since receiving President Biden’s endorsement on Sunday. She held her first rally in Milwaukee on Tuesday, following Biden’s withdrawal from the race.

“Harris has recovered a portion of the vote for the Democrats on the presidential ticket since the fallout after the June 27 debate,” explained Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, in a press release. “Harris’s numbers now reflect similar support levels to those of Biden back in March.”

“Young voters have shifted toward Harris: Her support increased by 16 points in Arizona, eight in Georgia, five in Michigan, 11 in Pennsylvania, and one in Wisconsin since earlier polling this month,” added Kimball.

Among potential vice presidential picks from key swing states, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D) saw the highest support from Democratic voters in his state, with 57 percent backing him as Harris’s running mate. Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) received 42 percent support from Arizona Democratic voters, while Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D) garnered 36 percent support from Democratic voters in her state.

The survey also brings positive news for Senate Democrats. Senators Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), along with Representatives Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), lead their respective Republican Senate competitors by margins of 4 or 5 points.

Democrats have rallied around Harris following Biden’s announcement that he would withdraw from the presidential race and support his vice president instead. Numerous high-profile Democrats have quickly endorsed Harris with just weeks remaining before the Democratic National Convention.

The polling results also highlight that Senate Democratic candidates continue to outperform the Democratic presidential nominee.

The Emerson College Polling/The Hill survey was conducted from July 22-23. It included 800 respondents each in Arizona, Georgia, and Michigan, with a margin of error of 3.4 percentage points in each state. In Pennsylvania, 850 respondents were surveyed with a margin of error of 3.3 percentage points, and in Wisconsin, 845 respondents were surveyed with a margin of error of 3.3 percentage points.

Kamala Harris Leads Trump by 19 Points Among Indian Americans in Favorability Ratings, Campaign Poll Shows

Staff ReporterCommunity, Cover 0

Kamala Harris, the likely Democratic nominee for the US Presidency, holds a significant 19-point lead over her Republican opponent Donald Trump in favorability among Indian Americans, according to internal polling from the Harris campaign.

These findings were shared on Wednesday in a memo by Harris campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon, providing an update on the overall state of the presidential race. The data covered a wide range of topics, including the favorability ratings among Asian Americans, encompassing Indian, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Filipino communities.

The poll was conducted internally on July 10, just 11 days before President Joe Biden ended his campaign under Democratic pressure and endorsed Harris for the top spot. She is now considered the de facto party nominee.

This internal poll assessed the favorability ratings of Biden, Trump, Harris, and Nikki Haley, the former US Ambassador to the UN and also of Indian descent like Harris, among Asian Americans. The results showed that 54 percent of Indian Americans had a “very favorable” to “somewhat favorable” view of Vice President Harris, a substantial 19-point advantage over Trump’s 35 percent. Harris also led Haley by 21 points but was slightly behind Biden, who had a 55 percent favorability rating.

The head-to-head matchup between Biden and Trump highlighted a significant decline in Biden’s support within the community. Only 46 percent of Indian Americans indicated they would vote for Biden if the election were held at the time of the survey, while 29 percent preferred Trump. Additionally, 20 percent were either undecided or refused to answer.

This marks a sharp drop from 2020 when a Carnegie Endowment for International Peace survey showed that 72 percent of Indian Americans planned to vote for Biden, compared to 22 percent for Trump. This decline likely reflects a general lack of enthusiasm for Biden’s second term despite his favorable perception.

The Harris campaign’s internal poll also revealed that 55 percent of Indian Americans intended to vote for Democratic Senate candidates, and 52 percent for Democratic House candidates. However, the Republican party has made some gains, with 29 percent planning to vote for Republican Senate candidates and 31 percent for Republican House candidates.

The US Indian American population ranges from 4.16 million to 4.4 million, making up about 1.4 percent of the more than 333 million US population. Out of these, only 2.62 million are US citizens, with 1.9 million registered voters, representing 0.82 percent of all registered voters in the country. Despite these seemingly small numbers, the community’s impact is significant.

Virginia, once a solid Republican state, has become reliably Democratic largely due to its substantial population of Indian Americans and other immigrants in the northern region near Washington. The community also plays a pivotal role in swing states, which decide presidential elections by narrow margins—Biden won Wisconsin by just a 0.63 percent margin in the last election.

O’Malley Dillon emphasized in the memo that the 2024 race between Harris and Trump is expected to be “tight,” noting that every vote will count in such close contests.

South Asian Women Rally Behind Kamala Harris at Virtual Launch, Raising Over $250,000 in Two Hours

Staff ReporterWomen, Cover 0

Television stars Mindy Kaling and Poorna Jagannathan, along with Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, were prominent figures at the virtual launch of South Asian Women for Harris on July 24.

The event drew around 9,000 women, despite being organized through word of mouth within three days following Vice President Kamala Harris’s announcement to run for the Democratic presidential nomination. Harris’s campaign has swiftly garnered $126 million in donations in under 72 hours and secured the necessary pledged delegates and 38,000 volunteers for the nomination.

During the two-hour launch, participants raised over $250,000, setting a record for a Zoom event. Venu Gupta, one of the organizers, emphasized the critical role of women voters, stating, “It’s going to take every woman voter in this country to win this election. We’re not running for office: we’re running for our rights.”

The event featured a panel of seasoned political activists, including Vanita Gupta, former US Associate Attorney General; Reshma Saujani, founder of Girls Who Code; and Rohini Kosoglu, Deputy Assistant to the President and Domestic Policy Advisor to the Vice President in the Biden-Harris administration. The panel was moderated by Mini Timmaraju, president of NARAL, a pro-choice organization. Saujani praised Harris, calling her the “mom’s candidate.”

Actress and producer Mindy Kaling, who is also a single mother of three, kicked off the event. She expressed her admiration for Harris’s boldness, saying, “Culturally, I was raised to keep my head down and not make a stir. I’m so glad to see that Kamala Harris has done the exact opposite throughout her career.” Kaling also commended Harris’s staunch pro-choice position, stating, “We need abortion care, not tax cuts for millionaires.”

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, representing Washington state and a Congress member since 2017, highlighted her and Harris’s election to the Senate and House on the same night in 2016, when Donald Trump won the presidency. Jayapal recalled Trump’s subsequent Muslim ban and her efforts to prevent deportations at the airport.

Jayapal introduced a bill to repeal the Muslim ban in the House and encouraged Harris to introduce it in the Senate. They have collaborated on multiple bills, including those supporting domestic workers’ rights, universal childcare, and abortion access. Jayapal, an early advocate for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas conflict, admitted uncertainty about Harris’s stance on the issue but noted Harris’s compassion.

Poorna Jagannathan expressed hope that Harris would push for a cease-fire and a permanent resolution to the Israel-Hamas conflict, stressing its importance to young voters. “We cannot afford not to talk about Gaza,” she emphasized.

Neeru Khosla, founder of the CK12 Foundation, was a surprise guest at the event. Her organization has educated over 265 million low-income children worldwide using a unique AI-based model. Khosla, whose husband Vinod Khosla is a notable venture capitalist, had hosted a fundraiser for Biden in May.

At her daughter Anu’s request, Neeru spoke at the event, expressing optimism and admiration for Harris. “Kamala is intelligent, she’s trained, and she wants to do the job. This is a very optimistic time,” she said, mirroring the positive sentiments shared in the Zoom chat.

Kiran Jain, who interviewed Khosla, remarked, “This election feels like it will be won via WhatsApp,” highlighting the significant role of digital communication in the campaign.

Lok Sabha Debates Union Budget: Opposition Claims Favoritism, Treasury Defends Inclusivity

Staff ReporterIndia, Cover 0

The Lok Sabha witnessed sharp debates over the Union Budget, with the Opposition accusing the government of favoring NDA-ruled states to sustain a fragile coalition, while the Treasury benches defended the budget as inclusive and equitable.

Congress MP Kumari Selja initiated the debate by labeling the budget as a collection of “jumlas (insincere promises).” She cautioned NDA members Nitish Kumar and N. Chandrababu Naidu against celebrating their states’ significant allocations, warning that political fortunes can change rapidly. “I would like to caution these two States… Nitishji has been with us for a long time, serving in the 10th Lok Sabha term, and Naiduji is also very experienced. Do not be swayed by their (government’s) words. It may seem today that they have given a lot, but it doesn’t take long for the tide to turn. Therefore, I want to caution them (JDU and TDP) as well. They may celebrate today, but it doesn’t take long for times to change,” she remarked. Selja also criticized the budget as a “kursi bachao Budget” (a budget to save the chair) and pointed to declining public trust in the government, noting, “People do not trust this budget, which is why the number of seats fell from 303 to 240.”

Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the fragile nature of the NDA coalition. He pointed out that not even the Finance Minister referred to the government as Modi 3.0 during the Budget presentation, highlighting the coalition’s instability. “It is so uncertain and fragile that it can implode anytime,” Banerjee stated, frequently using the phrase “waqt badal raha hai (time is changing)” to underline the government’s reduced numbers and the transition from a majority to a coalition. “After yesterday, one thing is clear, coalition means appeasement and compensation,” he asserted. Banerjee accused the Modi government of neglecting West Bengal and other regions, citing the reduction in benefits from schemes like MNERGA and housing. “Since you have failed to defeat us politically in West Bengal, you are now conspiring against the people of the state,” he alleged.

Banerjee also criticized the government’s “eccentric decisions” such as the “unplanned lockdown,” farm laws, and demonetization, which he claimed led to deaths, job losses, and economic despair. When Speaker Om Birla urged him to focus on contemporary issues, Banerjee retorted that while demonetization occurred in 2016, the BJP often referenced policies from over 60 years ago to criticize former Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru.

DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran launched a vehement attack on the Modi government, accusing it of spending enormous public funds on promoting “Modi ka guarantee” before the elections, only to replace it with “Modi ka insurance” afterward. “Lakhs of crores of public money were spent to promote Modi ka guarantee before Lok Sabha polls. After the election, Modi ka guarantee is replaced with Modi ka insurance. Premium is being paid by the people to ensure he continues as PM,” Maran declared.

Defending the budget, BJP MP from Tripura Biplab Deb asserted that the NDA would remain in power until 2047, promising to elevate India to new heights. He emphasized that the budget addressed the needs of all states and sections of society, highlighting an additional ₹4.82 lakh crore allocation for states. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s guarantee is still there, it is there in the budget also,” Deb said. He also rebuked the Congress and other opposition parties for alleging threats to the Constitution, pointing out that the Congress had invoked Article 356 seventy times to undermine the Constitution. “Why was the Emergency imposed, it was imposed because of one person and one family. The Emergency was imposed for one person — Indira Gandhi… now they carry the copy of Constitution,” Deb criticized. He confidently proclaimed, “We will do 400 paar, there will be a government of BJP and NDA till 2047 and people will give a befitting reply to the Opposition.”

Samajwadi Party MP Birendra Singh criticized the budget for omitting any mention of Uttar Pradesh, despite Prime Minister Modi representing Varanasi in the Lok Sabha. He also called for a rollback of the Agnipath military recruitment scheme.

The debate underscored the deep divisions between the government and the opposition, with each side presenting starkly different views on the budget’s intent and impact.

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