Vice President Kamala Harris has widened her lead over former President Donald Trump in the race for the White House, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll. Harris now leads Trump 47% to 42% among registered voters for the November 5 election, up from a four-point advantage in a previous poll.
The increase in Harris’s lead follows a widely acclaimed debate performance earlier this week. Many analysts believe Harris won the debate, which likely contributed to her improved poll numbers.
The survey shows that among voters who followed the debate, 53% felt Harris was the victor, while 24% favored Trump. Additionally, 52% of these voters thought Trump appeared less sharp, compared to 21% who felt the same about Harris. Among Republicans, 20% thought Trump performed poorly, while 31% felt neither candidate won.
Harris, 59, pressed Trump, 78, on his fitness for office and legal troubles, including his felony conviction for falsifying business records. The debate reinforced Harris’s image as having higher moral integrity, with 52% of voters perceiving her this way compared to 29% for Trump.
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While 53% of Republican voters thought Trump won the debate, 31% felt no clear winner emerged, and 14% believed Harris outperformed Trump. In contrast, 91% of Democrats felt Harris was the victor.
The debate, hosted by ABC News, attracted 67.1 million viewers, surpassing the 51 million who watched Trump debate then-candidate Joe Biden in June. This high viewership highlights the debate’s significance, especially following Biden’s own poor performance that led to his withdrawal from the 2024 race.
The poll also found 52% of voters consider Trump too old for government work, compared to just 7% for Harris. Harris was generally rated more favorably than Trump on demeanor and approachability, with 56% of viewers finding her more dignified and 49% believing she is more likely to understand their concerns.
