Latest polls: Trump and Harris are evenly matched

Author: Hadriana Lowenkron, Akayla Gardner, Bloomberg; Translated by: Wuzhu, Golden Finance

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are still on track to complete a photo op in this week's presidential election, with voters narrowly split both nationally and in key swing states that will decide the election, a series of polls released Sunday showed.

There were some encouraging signs for the Democratic nominee, with a final ABC News/Ipsos poll showing Harris leading 49%-46% nationally, while a New York Times/Siena survey released Sunday showed Harris ahead in five of seven swing states.

A Des Moines Register poll showed Harris leading 47%-44% in Iowa (a state Trump has won in every previous election), which may be an outlier but suggests the vice president may be successful in his efforts to make inroads with white voters in the Midwest.

Harris campaigned in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg

Still, Harris’ lead is within the margin of error in all surveys, and an NBC News poll released Sunday showed the race deadlocked 49%-49%.

Both candidates campaigned as if the race was still on the line: Harris spoke at a church service, visited two Black-owned businesses and gave a speech at Michigan State University, while Trump held rallies in Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia.

The whirlwind pace was evident when Trump in North Carolina tried to acknowledge Republican Senate candidate David McCormick on stage, forgetting that the former hedge fund executive is seeking office in Pennsylvania.

Each candidate emphasized their competing economic platforms, especially as polls show at least one thing in common — the economy remains voters’ top concern.

For the first time since becoming the nominee, Harris went through an entire rally speech without mentioning Trump — a move aides saw as a deliberate move toward affirmation at the end of the campaign.

Data released last week showed the U.S. economy continued to grow, inflation cooled and jobs were added, but the pace was slower than expected as two major hurricanes and a strike by aircraft mechanics weighed on employment data.

Here’s what happened on the campaign trail:

‘Shouldn’t have left’

At a rally in Lititz, Pennsylvania, Trump used a spate of remarks to suggest, without evidence, that the election system, polling firms and the media were corrupt and conspiring against his campaign — the latest sign the former president is preparing to compete.

The former president even said he shouldn’t have left the White House after losing the 2020 election to President Joe Biden.

“Honestly, I shouldn’t have left,” Trump said. “We’ve had a great time.”

Trump’s campaign pointed to his departure as a way to counter questions about his role in the January election.

Trump has devoted much of his time to denouncing early voting, even as his advisers point to high turnout among early Republican voters as a sign of strong momentum in his campaign. He said he believes the vote should only take place on Election Day, with the results immediately confirmed that night.

“Everybody is afraid to talk about it, and then they accuse you of being a conspiracy theorist,” Trump said.

Trump himself said last month that he intended to vote early after radio host Brian Kilmeade suggested it could serve as a model for his supporters. But in recent days, Trump’s aides have said he will vote on Election Day.

Trump went on to say he believes the U.S. voting system is worse than in the developing world and complained that his top campaign aides need to spend time developing strategies to challenge the electoral process, not campaign spending or rally locations.

Harris campaign officials told reporters on Sunday that Republicans are launching a doomed challenge to thousands of ballots in Pennsylvania purely to delay the count and bolster any subsequent claims of fraud ...p>

Trump went on to say he believes the U.S. voting system is worse than in the developing world and complained that his top campaign aides need to spend time developing strategies to challenge the electoral process, not campaign spending or rally locations.

Harris campaign officials told reporters on Sunday that Republicans are launching a doomed challenge to thousands of ballots in Pennsylvania purely to delay the count and bolster any subsequent claims of fraud.

The official said ballots could be counted days after the election.

Bullet-Proof Glass

Trump also drew attention during his speech with a tirade about the bullet-proof glass he is now required to use at outdoor events.

Trump commented on the large amount of ballistic material on his stage, at one point saying, "In order to catch me, someone is going to have to call out the fake news, and I don't mind that too much."

The former president's campaign rushed to issue a statement saying Trump's comments did not mean he would accept members of the news media being targeted.

“The president’s statement about putting up protective glass has nothing to do with the media being harmed or anything else,” Steven Cheung, Trump campaign communications director, said in a statement. “The fact that President Trump said the media is in danger because they are protecting him puts them in great danger and should have glass shields, too.”

Vaccines, fluoride

The Republican candidate also spoke on the phone with NBC News on Sunday and repeatedly declined to rule out controversial health policies championed by former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has now endorsed his campaign.

When asked about Kennedy’s statement on social media, the former president said they hadn’t talked about the idea “but it sounds good to me.”

“You know, it’s possible,” Trump said.

Trump also did not rule out banning certain vaccines. Kennedy has long been skeptical of vaccines, despite evidence that global immunization efforts have saved tens of millions of lives.

“I’ll make the decision, but he’s a very talented man and has strong opinions,” Trump said.

Trump arrives at a campaign event in Lititz, Pennsylvania, on Sunday. Photographer: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg

Black Voters

Harris has witnessed Trump’s advantage among black voters firsthand, touring the Greater Immanuel Church of God service center in Detroit and telling worshippers that the black church is essential to moving the country forward.

“We face real challenges as a nation. We face real challenges, we bear real burdens, we feel real pain, and we have to remember that faith, combined with our actions, gives us strength,” Harris said.

Trump has highlighted the impact of inflation and some of Harris’ progressive social policies as he seeks a broader coalition of voters. Surveys show he has higher approval ratings among black men than any other Republican candidate in recent history.

Later in the afternoon, Harris visited a Black-owned business, Kuzo’s Chicken and Waffles, a restaurant in Detroit’s Livernois neighborhood owned by former Detroit Lions player Ron Battle. She then stopped at Elam’s Barber Shop in Pontiac, telling the assembled patrons she was “going to go all in” and making a call to the group Winning With Black Women in the Evening. Harris also hopes to address discontent among some Arab American voters in Michigan about her support for Israel, further defending her stance in a speech on a college campus Sunday night. Earlier in the day, Harris told reporters she didn't see anyone who would refuse to support her campaign. "As president of the United States, I will do everything in my power to achieve that goal and a two-state solution, with self-determination for the Palestinians and security and stability in the region," she said. "But again, the issues are as varied as they are for any voter." A senior Harris campaign official said the team deployed more than 90,000 volunteers over the weekend, knocking on more than 3 million doors in battleground states.

Among the volunteers involved in the effort is a name that could catch Wall Street's attention: Judy Dimon, the wife of prominent political donor and JPMorgan Chase & Co. CEO Jamie Dimon, who was among those canvassing for Harris in Michigan over the weekend.

Election Eve Concerts

Harris plans to wrap up her campaign with two rallies in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, and will lean heavily on her celebrity supporters to help boost attendance.

In Pittsburgh, Katy Perry will headline a lineup that also includes D-Nice and Andra Day. Lady Gaga headlines Harris' final event in Philadelphia, which includes performances from hometown bands like the Roots and DJ Jazzy Jeff. Talk show stars Oprah Winfrey and Ricky Martin are also expected to attend.

In North Carolina, the event will feature a concert with singer-songwriter James Taylor and "American Idol" stars Fantasia Barrino and Remy Wolfe. In Atlanta, 2 Chainz and Anthony Hamilton will headline an event that will include a speech from Usher.

The celebrity outreach started early, with Harris taking advantage of the crowds that gathered before the Philadelphia Eagles took on the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday to host a "Tailgate for Turnout" event starring actor Robert De Niro and former Secretary of State John Kerry.

As volunteers passed around coasters and "Harris Hunk" hats, Kerry posed for photos inside the green tent and said he was encouraged by the support Harris had from prominent Republicans and national security officials.

"I think it's a remarkable thing that over 200 leading Republican national security people have come out and said, 'This guy is dangerous and should not be president,'" Kerry said. "When has that ever happened before?"

Harris votes

Harris told reporters she submitted her absentee ballot to California but declined to say how she voted on a key ballot measure.

Proposition 36, which has Republican support in the state, would impose stiffer sentences on repeat offenders of drug or retail theft offenses. Harris has avoided getting involved in the measure because there may be little political benefit to getting involved in the state's crime problem after Trump used it as a hit piece during his campaign.

"I'm not going to talk about voting on it because, to be honest, it's the Sunday before the election and I'm not going to build support around it one way or another," she said.