Vice President Kamala Harris holds a slim lead over former President Donald Trump after an expected polling bump following last week’s Democratic National Convention, according to a survey released Thursday.
The Wall Street Journal’s latest national poll showed Harris leading Trump by 1 percentage point.
The Democratic nominee pulled 48% support in a head-to-head matchup compared to the Republican nominee’s 47% backing.
When third-party candidates were included in the survey, Harris’ advantage grew to 2 points, 47% to 45%.
Both results were within the poll’s 2.5 percentage point margin for error.
The survey’s findings suggest that Trump, 78, would likely emerge victorious in the Electoral College race, since Democratic candidates typically poll higher than Republican ones in national polls.
The Democratic presidential candidates usually need at least a 3 point lead nationally to signal that they are also ahead in the battleground states that will decide the election.
In 2016, for example, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton topped Trump by 2.1 percentage points in the national popular vote but lost several swing states, handing Trump a decisive Electoral College victory.
The poll marked the first time that Trump has trailed in the presidential race (head to head) since April of last year, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The vice president’s surge is likely a reflection of the four days of glowing praise showered upon Harris during the four day, nationally televised Democratic gathering in Chicago – a polling bump that often fades.
The post-DNC poll found that Democratic voter enthusiasm for Harris (90%) topped GOP enthusiasm for Trump (82%), another likely side effect from the convention.
However, Harris’ job approval rating as vice president remains underwater despite the positive vibes at the DNC, with 51% disapproving and 42% approving.
On the issues, voters still trust Trump to handle the economy (by 8 points) and inflation (by 5 points) better than Harris.
Trump was also viewed by voters as more equipped than the vice president to handle the Israel-Hamas war and threats from Russia and China.
Harris made gains with black voters but the poll found her 83% support among voters who were black still lower than the 91% support Biden pulled in 2020 election exit polls.
The Wall Street Journal poll surveyed 1,500 registered voters between Aug. 24-28.
