As the US presidential election draws near, the latest polls indicate that former President Donald Trump is ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris in the race, with economic concerns influencing voter preferences.
A poll released on Thursday by CNBC’s All-America Economic Survey reveals that Trump leads Harris nationally by 48% to 46%, with a margin of error of 3.1%. In key battleground states, including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, Trump maintains a narrow lead at 48% to Harris’s 47%, although this segment of the poll carries margin of error of 4%.
The survey underscores that a significant portion of voters consider the economy the foremost issue in the upcoming election. Notably, many respondents express greater confidence in Trump’s ability to manage economic challenges compared to Harris. The CNBC survey found that 42% of voters believe they would experience better financial conditions if Trump were elected, while only 24% felt the same about Harris. Additionally, around 29% of voters indicated they thought their financial situation would remain unchanged regardless of the election outcome.
A parallel poll conducted by the Financial Times in conjunction with the University of Michigan Ross School of Business showed comparable results. In this survey, 44% of voters expressed greater trust in Trump on economic matters, while 43% sided with Harris. When asked who would better support them financially, 45% of respondents chose Trump, with 37% opting for Harris.
Furthermore, RealClearPolitics, which monitors national and regional polling data, suggests that Harris holds a slim lead of 0.3 percentage points nationally. However, Trump is ahead by 0.9 points in the critical battleground states. A recent Wall Street Journal poll also found Trump leading Harris nationally by two percentage points, with Trump at 47% and Harris at 45%. These trends highlight the significant role economic perceptions will play as the election approaches.
