Staff Reports
The dreams of Democrats to ride a Kamala Harris wave into the 2024 election have been dashed flatter than a pancake at a Sunday breakfast. Recent polling has emerged that reveals former President Donald Trump not only holding his ground but actually gaining ground against the Vice President, after President Biden’s recent exit from the race. It seems that while the left hoped Harris would revitalize their base like some campaign superhero, she might just find herself struggling to lift off the launch pad.
According to the first polls taken after Biden’s phantom-like departure, Trump has a solid 2% advantage over Harris in a hypothetical matchup. This is a step up for Harris from her predecessor, who was trailing Trump by a staggering 6%. But let’s not pop the champagne just yet; this slight uptick comes on the tail end of a party that has seen its leadership dissolve faster than sugar in hot tea. The Quinnipiac poll paints an even less rosy picture for Harris, showing Trump commanding 45% against her 41% among a whopping 1,257 registered voters—stronger still amongst independents, where he boasts a 14-point lead. Independents clearly aren’t feeling the Harris love.
In a further twist, a poll conducted by Harris and Forbes shows Trump with a whopping 10-point lead among likely voters—definitely not the kind of numbers the Democratic powerhouses were hoping for. Even when the undecided crowd is roped in, the margin is still a hefty 9%. This all has the makings of a serious cold splash of reality for the Democratic National Committee, which was probably expecting Harris to glide into the race with a pep in her step and a pun intended.
BREAKING: Trump WALLOPS Kamala In EVERY Post-Drop-Out Poll https://t.co/BrsNrvAHcZ
— Trump2024_no_matter_what (@TexasTrump2024) July 23, 2024
Just before Biden’s exit, even the left-leaning Public Policy Polling got in on the fun, revealing that Harris was trailing Trump in crucial battleground states. In polls from July 11-12, Trump led Harris in Pennsylvania by 6%, in Arizona by 8%, in Michigan by 2%, and in Wisconsin by an embarrassing 1%. Democrats must be shaking in their boots as they see their hopes of a smooth transition evaporate faster than a snowflake in July.
Biden’s term isn’t doing Harris any favors either. While they likely hoped she would wipe the slate clean, the specter of his presidency looms large—one marred by soaring grocery prices and skyrocketing gas bills. Since June 27—a date that will go down in infamy for the Democrats—Trump has consistently maintained a lead over Harris; the average margin of 1.5% is nearly as close as the 1.9% he had against Biden. This suggests that not only is Harris struggling to boost her numbers, but she may also be serving as a reminder of everything that went wrong in the last three and a half years.
Her approval ratings have thrown a wet blanket on any attempts to rally the troops as well; a grim 32% approval has her hurtling to new lows among vice presidents. Missteps abound, with many observers left scratching their heads about what she actually stands for. From immigration to artificial intelligence to Africa’s foreign policy, it’s hard to say that she has managed to leave a mark anywhere, let alone convince voters she can hold her own against Trump. Some may point to abortion as her shining achievement, but that’s akin to seizing on a single rain cloud to represent an entire storm. Even her supporters, like Senator Elizabeth Warren, seem to be grasping for straws—talking up her qualities as a “proven fighter” while the numbers tell a far different story. Harris might be the designated successor, but the cold hard facts show she has a long uphill battle ahead.
