Vice President Kamala Harris has gained a notable five-point lead over former President Donald Trump in two major national polls conducted shortly after their recent debate. Many political analysts have declared Harris the clear winner of the debate, with her strong performance boosting her standing among voters.
Key Poll Findings
In a poll conducted by Morning Consult on Wednesday, Harris is ahead of Trump by a margin of 50% to 45%, marking her largest lead so far in this survey group. This is a slight improvement from her previous four-point lead in a poll taken on the day of the debate, and it builds on her earlier three-point lead in surveys conducted before the event. The survey sampled 3,317 likely voters.
Similarly, a two-day Reuters/Ipsos poll concluded on Thursday shows Harris maintaining a five-point lead, with 47% of respondents supporting her compared to 42% for Trump. This is a one-point increase from a previous poll conducted by the same group between August 21 and August 28.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll also revealed that 53% of voters who had followed the debate believed Harris emerged victorious, compared to only 24% who thought Trump had won. A significant portion of the respondents did not provide an answer on this matter. The poll further showed that 91% of Democrats considered Harris the winner, while only 53% of Republicans felt the same about Trump.
Additionally, 52% of the respondents familiar with the debate said Trump did not appear as sharp as they expected, while only 21% said the same about Harris.
Pundits Weigh In
Several political analysts and commentators widely praised Harris for her debate performance. Former Fox News anchor Chris Wallace and NBC News presidential historian Michael Beschloss were among those who noted that Harris managed to put Trump on the defensive multiple times throughout the night. She questioned him about his ongoing legal troubles, criticized the size of his rally crowds, and referenced his loss in the 2020 election. Harris even brought up how U.S. military leaders allegedly view Trump as a “disgrace.”
Harris’ ability to rattle Trump and shift the narrative worked in her favor, according to many experts. By addressing key issues and managing to corner Trump on various points, she significantly strengthened her position in the race.
Poll Numbers Before and After Debate
Before the debate, Harris had been leading Trump by 2.7 points, according to polling averages compiled by FiveThirtyEight. While her lead has grown since then, polling trends suggest that her momentum may be leveling off. In one of the first major polls taken after the debate, conducted by The New York Times and Siena College from September 3 to September 6, Trump actually managed to edge out Harris by one point, securing 48% to her 47%.
Significance of the Debate
The debate, held last Tuesday, was the first and only scheduled face-off between Trump and Harris and was regarded as one of the most critical events of the 2024 presidential campaign. It marked the first time the two candidates met in person and was especially significant for Harris. Given that she entered the race later than most candidates, she is less well-known to voters from both a personal and policy standpoint.
Despite the high stakes, Harris did not introduce any new policy initiatives during the debate. Instead, the discussion largely centered around familiar topics, with the two candidates exchanging sharp criticisms over issues such as the economy, the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, border policies, and abortion rights.
Harris’ performance in the debate came just over two months after President Joe Biden’s disastrous debate with Trump, which many believe ended his bid for the Democratic nomination. With Biden effectively out of the race, Harris has been able to secure her position as the Democratic frontrunner.
Debate Moderation Controversy
While Harris was widely considered the debate’s winner, some of Trump’s supporters criticized the moderators. ABC’s Linsey Davis and David Muir, who hosted the debate, were accused of showing bias by fact-checking Trump on multiple occasions but not doing the same with Harris.
Many news outlets that analyzed the candidates’ statements during the debate found that Trump made more false or misleading claims than Harris. For example, Trump inaccurately claimed that inflation was the worst it had ever been, which was widely debunked by fact-checkers. Although Harris also stretched the truth in a few instances, such as when she claimed that her stance on fracking was clear during the 2020 election, she was not corrected by the moderators.
Trump’s Reaction to the Debate
Following the debate, Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to declare that he would not participate in another debate with Harris. He criticized her performance and suggested she had failed in her role as Vice President over the last four years, writing, “THERE WILL BE NO THIRD DEBATE!” Trump further accused Harris of calling for a second debate only because she lost the first one, comparing her to a “fallen UFC fighter” who wants a rematch.
As the 2024 presidential race heats up, Kamala Harris’ recent debate performance has given her a boost in national polls, leading Donald Trump by five points. While there are still months to go before the election, Harris’ ability to take control during the debate and effectively challenge Trump on key issues has strengthened her position as a strong contender for the presidency. However, with Trump’s continued presence and his refusal to debate Harris again, the dynamics of the race remain fluid. Political observers and voters alike will be closely watching how both candidates move forward in the coming weeks.
