Former President Donald Trump is ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris in 13 national polls released in July. The surveys suggest that Harris might fare no better against Trump than President Joe Biden did. According to RealClearPolitics polling averages, Harris’s favorability rating is even one point lower than Biden’s.
Trump wasted no time on Sunday, commenting that Harris would be an easier candidate to defeat in November than Biden, following Biden’s withdrawal from the Democratic nomination race.
These 13 polls contradict a survey by Fernand Amandi, a former pollster for President Barack Obama, which claimed Harris led Trump by one point. This discrepancy highlights the ongoing debate within the Democratic Party about who stands the best chance against Trump.
Obama, who seems to have played a significant role behind the scenes in Biden’s decision to step down, did not publicly question Biden’s viability until a leak to the Washington Post on Wednesday. This leak came right after reports emerged that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Democrat Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer privately urged Biden to bow out.
The timing of these events suggests a coordinated effort by Democratic leaders to persuade Biden to exit the race amid the party’s internal turmoil and growing media scrutiny of Biden’s political future. According to Playbook, “The idea here is that Obama, Pelosi, Jeffries, and Schumer do not want to be seen as back-room party bosses engineering a Harris coronation. And if there’s a real challenge, they want to be able to unite the party again when there’s a nominee.”
It’s clear that the Democratic leadership is scrambling to maintain unity and find a candidate who can effectively challenge Trump in the upcoming election. Meanwhile, Trump appears confident, viewing Harris as a less formidable opponent than Biden.
