Vice President Kamala Harris has taken a narrow lead over former president Donald Trump in the US presidential race, according to a new poll released Tuesday. The Siena College and New York Times poll shows Kamala Harris leading Donald Trump by 49 percent to 46 percent, just four weeks before the election, as both candidates ramp up efforts to sway undecided voters.
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are locked in a fierce battle for votes, with both engaging in media blitzes to reach the small portion of the electorate that remains undecided. Donald Trump, who appeared on multiple media platforms on Tuesday, continues to portray himself as a strong leader, while Kamala Harris emphasized change and empathy during her own appearances. Registered voters in the poll gave Kamala Harris the edge in representing change and understanding the concerns of everyday Americans, while Donald Trump was seen as the stronger leader.
The poll results are consistent with national polling data aggregated by RealClearPolitics, which has Kamala Harris ahead by two percentage points. However, in key battleground states expected to determine the election’s outcome, the race remains even tighter, with both candidates neck and neck.
Kamala Harris, speaking in a live interview with radio host Howard Stern, admitted that the close nature of the race is causing her concern. “I literally lose sleep… over what is at stake in this election,” she said, calling it a battle between strength and weakness, with Donald Trump projecting “weakness” by failing to stand up for the American people’s needs.
The poll also revealed that Kamala Harris is making gains among Republicans, with nine percent of GOP voters now indicating they will support her, up from five percent last month. Kamala Harris touched on this issue during an appearance on “The View,” where she spoke about campaigning alongside Republican former congresswoman Liz Cheney. She noted that more than 200 officials from past Republican administrations have endorsed her, signaling growing bipartisan support.
Donald Trump, meanwhile, continued his aggressive approach, attacking Kamala Harris’s intelligence and criticizing her response to Hurricane Helene, despite her recent visit to the disaster zone. He also dismissed concerns about his stamina, insisting on a podcast with conservative influencer Ben Shapiro that he is fully capable of finishing strong in the final weeks of the campaign.
Kamala Harris may have gained further momentum Tuesday after a pro-Palestinian group that had threatened to pull votes from her in swing state Michigan issued a strong rebuke of Donald Trump. Though the group stopped short of endorsing Kamala Harris, they warned that conditions could worsen under Donald Trump’s leadership.
