Donald Trump Sees Major Swing Over Kamala Harris Among Two Key Voter Groups

Former President Donald Trump has overtaken Vice President Kamala Harris among two key voting groups, according to a poll released hours before the candidates face off in their first presidential debate.
The new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll found that Trump now leads Harris among independents and Latino voters, groups that the vice president previously took by double digits.
The poll shows that, among independents, Trump leads Harris 49 percent to 46 percent—a 14-point shift from an August poll that showed Harris 11 points ahead of Trump.
Among Latino voters, Trump leads Harris 51 percent to 47 percent. This marks a 19-point shift from August when Harris led the former president by 15 points in the same voting group.
Newsweek reached out to the Trump and Harris campaigns via email for comment.
Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, lead Trump and Ohio Senator JD Vance by one point, at 49 percent.
The numbers show the continuing tight nature of the 2024 election, with Harris leading Trump by as much as four points in other recent surveys.
More women support Harris, as she leads Trump by 15 points, while he outpaces her by 12 points with male voters.
The Marist poll showed a 14-point shift from independent voters compared to August when Harris was beating Trump by 11 points. A similar change has happened among Latino voters, with a 19-point swing in favor of Trump.
Follow Newsweek’s live blog for election updates.
According to the poll, 70 percent of Americans will watch some or all of the debate between the two candidates on Tuesday night.
While 30 percent said the event would help them in making their decision in November, 69 percent said it would not help them very much or at all.
“When Trump and Harris square off in Philadelphia, the stakes are sky high because the contest is so close,” Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, Director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, said in a statement.
“Only single digits separate the candidates on most of the issues important to voters. But voters who value honesty are overwhelmingly for Harris, and voters looking for strong leadership are mostly in Trump’s corner. Will this still be the case on Wednesday morning?”
Voters will likely be watching to see how Trump and Harris address particular issues, with inflation and border security among the major topics they want to hear about on the debate stage in Philadelphia.
The Marist poll released Tuesday showed Trump was viewed as a stronger candidate on immigration, the economy and the Middle East.
Harris, on the other hand, was viewed as stronger on abortion.
Voters still appear undecided on which values and traits matter most in a president, with splits across honesty and trustworthiness, being a strong leader, and reflecting stances on key issues.
Harris was seen as the candidate most likely to bring about change.
Update 9/10/24, 11:26 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.