Gallup: Significant Swing in Trump and Harris Favorability
A new national survey from Gallup contains positive news for the Trump campaign, and concerning data for Team Kamala. While the poll does not test the head-to-head presidential matchup, it does measure voters’ impressions of the two major parties’ nominees. This poll was in the field for the better part of two weeks, spanning both pre- and post-debate dates. Compared to August, when Kamala Harris was riding a wave of media adulation, this data set shows clear erosion in her favorability ratings. But if this were simply a product of the so-called ‘sugar high’ wearing off, that wouldn’t necessarily explain the corresponding gains Trump has made on the same metrics. Her favorability faltering wouldn’t guarantee that his standing would move at all – but it has:
Gallup poll: Favorability Ratings (shift from August)
Donald Trump
Favorable: 46% (+5)
Unfavorable: 53% (-2)Kamala Harris
Favorable: 44% (-3)
Unfavorable: 54% (+5)
——
Among independents
Trump: 44-53 (net: -9)
Harris: 35-60 (-25)#44 (2.5/3.0) | n=1,007 A | 9/3-15… pic.twitter.com/bbBc8Hp0j4
— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) September 18, 2024
Trump is somewhat unpopular, with a (-7) net favorability rating. Harris is more unpopular, at (-10). Trump has seen a seven-point net gain on these measures since August, while Harris has tumbled by eight points. Her unfavorable rating is up five points over the last month. Notably, among independents, Trump is underwater by nine points, while Harris is at a very weak (-25) with fully 60 percent unfavorability among this important group. Part of this might be because many voters aren’t getting what they want from Harris, even among some friendly audiences:
Reporters Tonya Mosley of NPR, Gerren Keith Gaynor of TheGrio and Eugene Daniels of Politico repeatedly pressed Harris for direct answers on other topics, interrupting her multiple times when she veered away from the subject or rambled. She dodged a potentially contentious moment when Mosley stopped her during an answer about gun control. The audience of about 150, including 100 college students, began to signal discomfort when Harris avoided answering a question about whether she would issue an executive order to create a commission to study reparations. Ultimately, she said it would come down to Congress, an answer that seemed to deflate some of the attendees. Some members of the audience also signaled displeasure when she gave an indirect answer about whether she would continue the Biden administration’s approach to the Israel-Hamas war.
Axios asked Harris' campaign whether she was available for a five- to 10-minute interview to discuss her position on immigration. A campaign spokesperson declined.
— Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) September 18, 2024
(Read more from “Gallup: Significant Swing in Trump and Harris Favorability” HERE)
Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr
