Americans Give Harris An Advantage Over Trump
WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris is viewed more favorably than former President Donald Trump in terms of several leadership qualities, including honesty, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. However, the survey also reveals that Americans have slightly more confidence in Trump when it comes to handling the economy and immigration issues.
Nearly half of Americans believe that Kamala Harris is more “committed to democracy” and “disciplined” compared to about 3 in 10 who think these qualities better describe Donald Trump. Furthermore, around 4 in 10 Americans feel that Harris “cares about people like you,” while about 3 in 10 say the same about Trump. When it comes to honesty, about 4 in 10 say Harris is better described by this trait, compared to 24% for Trump.
As Harris prepares to accept the Democratic nomination at the party’s convention next week, both parties are eager to shape public perception of her. The poll indicates that while Harris shares some of the same challenges that affected President Joe Biden before his reelection bid, she also has certain advantages over Trump when directly compared.
Additionally, Democrats are generally more enthusiastic about Harris’s candidacy than they were about Biden’s.
Trump has positioned himself as a strong leader capable of managing the country’s crises, and has suggested that foreign leaders would not respect Harris in the White House. However, the survey reveals that Trump does not hold a significant advantage in this area. Four in 10 U.S. adults view Trump as a strong leader, with a similar proportion saying the same about Harris.
Additionally, around 4 in 10 believe Trump is capable of handling a crisis, with a comparable share considering Harris better suited for such challenges.
Americans are nearly evenly split on who they believe is more likely to win in November—Trump or Harris. Back in July, before Biden exited the race, only around 20% of Americans thought Biden had a better chance of winning compared to Trump, who was seen as more capable by about twice as many people.
“Trump had a better chance when Joe Biden was running,” said Lisa Miller, a 42-year-old student and Republican from Elko, Nevada. “I think a lot of people who were unsure about Joe Biden feel more confident with Kamala Harris’ age and cognitive abilities.”
Trump’s Edge on Key Issues
When it comes to handling the economy and immigration, Americans show a slight preference for Trump over Harris. About 45% of people believe Trump is better suited to manage the economy, compared to 38% for Harris. A similar gap exists regarding immigration. Among independents, the preference for Trump is even more pronounced; they are nearly twice as likely to trust Trump over Harris on economic issues and also give him the edge on immigration.
Howard Barnes, a 36-year-old artist from San Francisco, identifies as a Republican and expresses a preference for Trump over Harris regarding border policies.
“She doesn’t really seem to be proactive about it or even interested in it,” Barnes commented.
However, when it comes to issues like race and racial inequality, abortion policy, and healthcare, Harris has a significant advantage over Trump. Approximately half of U.S. adults believe Harris would handle these issues better than Trump, who garners support from about 30% of adults for these matters. Harris’s strength is particularly notable among Democrats, independents, and women concerning abortion policy.
In terms of healthcare and racial issues, Democrats and independents tend to favor Harris. Around two-thirds of Black adults trust Harris more on racial issues, along with about half of Hispanic and white adults.
Harris and Trump: Trust and Trouble in Key Issues
Harris’ strengths shine in two areas where Republicans rate Trump relatively low: abortion policy and race-related issues. Only about 60% of Republicans trust Trump over Harris on these matters.
However, the poll also reveals potential trouble for Harris. Among Democrats, only about 60% trust her over Trump to handle the war in Gaza better, marking her lowest rating within her party on the surveyed issues. About 25% of Democrats say they trust neither Trump nor Harris on this topic.
Growing Enthusiasm Among Democrats
Democratic excitement about the upcoming election is palpable. Nearly two-thirds of Democrats say they would feel “excited” if Harris were elected, either extremely or very well.
This enthusiasm marks a stark contrast to when Biden was the candidate. A March AP-NORC poll showed only 40% of Democrats felt “excited” about the prospect of Biden winning another term. Currently, about 70% of Democrats say they would feel “satisfied” if Harris won, a notable increase from March when only half said this about Biden.
“There’s definitely joy and there’s definitely hope, and I feel like that’s something that’s been missing,” said Meaghan Dunfee, a 33-year-old public-sector worker from Hamilton, New Jersey. “I don’t think we’ve had that in a long time on the Democratic side.”
Independent Voters’ Reactions
Independents are also showing more enthusiasm for Harris. About 20% of independents say they would be either excited or satisfied if Harris were elected, an increase from their response about Biden in March.
Around 50% of independents say excitement would describe their emotions at least “somewhat” well, up from about 25% in March. Similar proportions of independents say they would feel excited or satisfied about Trump being elected.