U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris holds a 5-point lead over Republican rival Donald Trump in a recent NBC News poll, which revealed a significant increase in her favorability since being named the Democratic presidential candidate. The poll, released on Sunday, found that 48% of 1,000 registered voters now view Harris positively, up from 32% in July—a notable rise, marking the biggest favorability boost for any politician in an NBC poll since President George W. Bush’s ratings surged following the September 11, 2001 attacks.
In contrast, 40% of respondents viewed Trump positively, a slight increase from 38% in July. The NBC poll was conducted between September 13 and 17, with a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
A separate CBS News poll also found Harris leading Trump, albeit by a narrower margin of 4 percentage points (52% to 48%) among likely voters, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
These results align with other national polls, such as those from Reuters/Ipsos, which show a tight race as the November 5 election approaches. However, while national polls offer insights into voter sentiment, the election’s outcome will ultimately be decided by the Electoral College, with a few key battleground states likely proving decisive.
Trump, now 78, is pursuing a third presidential bid after his 2020 loss to Joe Biden, a result he continues to falsely attribute to widespread voter fraud. He also faces federal and state criminal charges related to his efforts to overturn the election outcome.
Harris, 59, a former U.S. senator and prosecutor, is currently serving as vice president under Biden. If elected, she would become the first woman president in the nation’s 248-year history.
“She’s turned this from a referendum on Joe Biden into a referendum on Donald Trump,” Amy Walter, publisher and editor-in-chief of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, told NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
In CBS’ poll of 3,129 registered voters conducted from September 18 to 20, Harris saw a 2-point rise after a previously tied 50-50 split in August, buoyed by her performance in the September 10 debate and positive economic developments.
