Trump receives pre-debate polling boost in battleground states

A new poll signaled trouble for Vice President Kamala Harris , as her honeymoon period continues to fade.

A New York Times/Sienna poll , conducted Sept. 3-6, had Trump in the lead for the first time in a major national nonpartisan poll since Harris's ascension began in July. Though still within the margin of error, Trump was given a narrow lead, 48%, compared to Harris's 47%. The two are neck-and-neck in every battleground state.

The two are tied with 48% in the battleground states of Arizona, North Carolina, Georgia, and Nevada. Harris is slightly ahead, 49% to 48% in Pennsylvania, 48% to 46% in Michigan, and 49% to 47% in Wisconsin.

Part of the issue is an erosion in support from traditional Democratic voters — women, young voters, and Latino voters , who she isn't performing as strongly with as hoped.

The debate could prove decisive, as many likely voters, 28%, said they needed to know more about Harris, compared to only 9% about Trump.

“I don’t know what Kamala’s plans are,” Knoxville business owner Dawn Conley, 48, said. “It’s kind of hard to make a decision when you don’t know what the other party’s platform is going to be.”

Harris, despite her progressive credentials, also suffers from a lack of perception of change. While 60% of likely voters said the next president should represent a major change from President Joe Biden , only 25% said that Harris could represent that change, compared to 53% saying as much about Trump.

If 2024 is a fight over the perception of extremes, Harris also has an issue — 47% of likely voters said that Harris is too liberal, compared to 32% who see Trump as too conservative.

One of the Democrats' primary attack angles against Trump, that his character makes him unfit for office, isn't proving as decisive as hoped — 54% viewed Trump as a risky choice, compared to 52% seeing Harris as a risky choice.

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One possible boon for Harris is enthusiasm, with 91% of Democrats saying they were enthusiastic compared to 85% of Republicans expressing enthusiasm over Trump.

The poll interviewed 1,695 registered voters nationwide, with a margin of error of +/- 2.8%.