Trump narrows gap as immigration concerns sway voters
The race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump remains highly close. According to a poll published by "The New York Times" on Friday, both candidates have around 48% support. Harris had a slight lead in the survey conducted at the beginning of October.
"The result, coming less than two weeks before Election Day, and as millions of Americans have already voted, is not encouraging for Ms. Harris," the newspaper emphasizes.
The outcome, with Harris and Trump each having 48% support, shows a slight increase for Trump since October 8, when the previous poll commissioned by "The New York Times" was released. At that time, the current vice president had a national lead over the former president, with a 49 to 47 percent advantage.
The newspaper reminds readers that the final decision on who will take office as President of the USA will be made by voters in the so-called swing states, where neither candidate has a clear advantage. These states include Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Recent polls indicate that the race in these states is very tight, the newspaper notes.
Trump gains in the poll
The newspaper points out that a potential advantage for Trump could be the growing public concern about immigration. In "The New York Times" survey, 15% of voters identified immigration as the main issue (up from 12% in the previous survey), and 54% believe the Republican candidate deserves more trust on this topic, especially by promising "the largest deportation in American history."
Negative sentiments about the country's direction may also work in Trump's favor. The newspaper notes that only 28% of respondents considered the current direction appropriate, which is unfavorable for the ruling party.
"The New York Times" also points out positive signals for Harris. Trump's lead in assessing the candidates' competencies regarding the economy has decreased from 13 to 6 percent. Additionally, Harris enjoys greater trust on the issue of abortion rights and is the preferred candidate among undecided voters, who account for 15% of the electorate.
The poll conducted by Siena College for "The New York Times" from October 20-23 surveyed 2,516 registered voters. This is the newspaper's last public opinion poll before the U.S. presidential elections on November 5. The results are within the margin of error of 2.2 percentage points.
