Associated Press
Vice President Kamala Harris has a perceived advantage over former President Donald Trump on several leadership qualities such as honesty, a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds, although Americans are slightly more likely to trust Trump on the economy and immigration.
Nearly half of Americans say that “committed to democracy” and “disciplined” are attributes that better describe Harris. About 3 in 10 say these qualities better describe Trump.
About 4 in 10 say Harris is someone who “cares about people like you” while about 3 in 10 say that about Trump. About 4 in 10 say “honest” better describes Harris and 24% say that quality better describes Trump.
Both parties are racing to define Harris as she prepares to accept the Democratic nomination at the party’s convention next week. The poll suggests she carries some of the same baggage that weighed down President Joe Biden before he ended his reelection bid but has advantages over Trump when they’re compared to each other. And Democrats continue to be much happier about her candidacy than they were about Biden’s.
Trump has spent the campaign championing himself as a strong leader who is capable of handling tough crises facing the country and suggesting that foreign leaders wouldn’t respect Harris in the White House. But he doesn’t have an advantage with Americans on that characteristic, according to the survey. Four in 10 U.S. adults see Trump as a strong leader, and roughly the same share say that about Harris. About 4 in 10 say Trump is capable of handling a crisis, and a similar share say Harris is better positioned to do so.
Americans are about evenly divided between who they think is more capable of winning in November — Trump or Harris. In July, before Biden dropped out of the race, only about 2 in 10 Americans thought he was more capable of winning, while about twice as many thought that about Trump.
“Trump had a better chance when Joe Biden was running,” said Lisa Miller, a 42-year-old student in Elko, Nevada, and a Republican. “I think a lot of people who were insecure about Joe Biden are more secure with Kamala Harris’ age and cognitive abilities.”
Trump holds advantage on economy, immigration
Americans are more likely to trust Trump over Harris when it comes to handling the economy or immigration, but the difference is slight — 45% say Trump is better positioned to handle the economy, while 38% say that about Harris. The difference is similar in handling immigration. Independents are about twice as likely to trust Trump over Harris on economic issues, and they give him the advantage on immigration as well.
Howard Barnes, a 36-year-old artist in San Francisco, is a Republican who says he trusts Trump over Harris on the border.
“She doesn’t really seem to be proactive about it or even interested in it,” Barnes said.
Harris has more of an advantage over Trump when it comes to handling issues related to race and racial inequality, abortion policy, and health care. Roughly half of U.S. adults say Harris would do a better job than Trump handling each of those issues, compared with about 3 in 10 for Trump. Harris is especially strong among Democrats, independents and women on the issue of abortion policy.
Democrats and independents give her the edge on health care, as well as on issues of race and racial inequality. About two-thirds of Black adults say Harris is the candidate they trust more on that issue, as well as about half of Hispanic adults and white adults.
Harris’ strengths also accentuate two areas where Republicans give Trump relatively low marks: abortion policy and issues related to race and racial inequality. Only about 6 in 10 Republicans trust Trump over Harris on these issues.
There are possible signs of trouble for Harris in the poll, though. Only about 6 in 10 Democrats trust her over Trump to do a better job handling the war in Gaza, her lowest rating within her party on the issues asked about. About one-quarter of Democrats say they trust neither Trump nor Harris on this topic.
Democrats more excited about election now
About two-thirds of Democrats say “excited” describes either extremely well or very well how they would feel if Harris were to be elected.
The enthusiasm represents a sharp reversal from when Biden was the Democrats’ candidate: an AP-NORC poll from March found that only 4 in 10 Democrats said “excited” would describe their feelings extremely or very well if he won another term. About 7 in 10 Democrats say “satisfied” would describe their emotions at least very well if Harris won. That’s also a shift from March, when half of Democrats said this about Biden.
“There’s definitely joy and there’s definitely hope, and I feel like that’s something that’s been missing,” said Meaghan Dunfee, a 33-year-old public-sector worker in Hamilton, New Jersey. “I don’t think we’ve had that in a long time on the Democratic side.”
About 2 in 10 independents say they would be either excited or satisfied by Harris being elected, an increase from their response to the Biden question in March. Roughly half of independents say excitement would describe their emotions at least “somewhat” well, up from about one-quarter in March. Similar shares of independents say they would be excited or satisfied about Trump being elected.
The poll of 1,164 adults was conducted August 8-12, 2024, using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.
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Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
31 comments
Ocean Joe
August 14, 2024 at 7:24 am
Are the pop up, loud ads finally gone?
If only 52% of Republicans think Trump is honest, then the 48% who know better will be the folks who rebuild the party when Trumpty Dumpty takes a great fall. He’s awfully old to be president, dont you think?
Day 24
August 14, 2024 at 8:01 am
You’re not gonna tell me that Kamryn’s an honest person are you? Notice the transformation and erasure of all her previous positions under way. She will do and say anything to climb the ladder. Just ask Willie. 🤣
Tom
August 14, 2024 at 8:50 am
Preach it brother!! Let folks see what maga’s think of women. I didn’t hear anybody asking about whether Tim Walz is really white or slept his way to the top although JD in drag may have been an attempt at wooing female voters. Then again, maybe he’s just plain weird.
Day 24
August 14, 2024 at 8:59 am
“Weird” was the word of the day last week as sent down from the zombie leaders. This week it is “Joy” and the zombie media is out pushing that term. Now what will be the word next week?
JD
August 14, 2024 at 9:24 am
Considering the “Weird” moniker has been going for almost a year, it shows you just noticed it. Slacking there. Or are you just “Weird”?
Day 24
August 14, 2024 at 9:16 am
Plenty of females in the Repub party and of color as well. Your party always refers to black male politicians in our party as “Uncle Toms. “ I detect a little bit of racism there.
JD
August 14, 2024 at 9:25 am
I believe the current moniker is “Token” from South Park. Uncle Tom’s is the Boomer word.
TJC
August 14, 2024 at 6:26 pm
Delusional bullshit. “Plenty” means enough for you.
JD
August 14, 2024 at 9:22 am
You’re not going to tell me Trump and Vance are honest people are you? Ask them about their positions on Project 2025. Just ask Epstein (oh, wait) and Thiel.
Day 24
August 14, 2024 at 9:35 am
Call me whatever you want JD. I’m not one of those super sensitive metrosexuals like you and Newsom And Frey.😜
JD
August 14, 2024 at 10:15 am
I don’t see where I called you anything Impeach, Ed, Day X or whatever your handle de jour.
Day 24
August 14, 2024 at 11:00 am
Reference your above post JD.
TJC
August 14, 2024 at 6:24 pm
Bullshit.
SUPER ELVIS THE MAN OF STEEL
August 14, 2024 at 7:25 am
America …. really?????,
As you all see its an A. P. artical of total propaganda along with a 8utt-Load of Smelly Brown.
So lets all just relax our sphincters and move along. No need to expose yourselves to this artical full of “Journolistic Toxic Waste”.
Thank you America,
SUPER ELVIS “Full Of Sage Wisdom”
JD
August 14, 2024 at 9:30 am
Earl Shitts, its good to finally see you connected your “Full of Sage Wisdom” to something apt – 8utt-Load of Smelly Brown. Keep up the good work Shitts. Your true colors – brown – are finally showing through.
SUPER ELVIS
August 15, 2024 at 7:11 am
For shame, JD, you are a total “Basty Nastard” and need to show much more Respect, Love, and Feilty to Me, SUPER ELVIS.
JD you are just a heartbeat away from a CHASTIZEMENT which includes the Lefty Dreaded Masturbation Ban.
“Do Better JD”
Thank you JD,
SUPER ELVIS
Yrral
August 14, 2024 at 8:15 am
JD Vance has put a drag on Trump campaign,JD Vance channeling his inner trans as Sofa Loren, Google JD Vance Drag Queen
Day 24
August 14, 2024 at 8:41 am
Where would Yrral be if someone took his google machine from him? You don’t like JD but he is obviously very sharp and smart.
JD
August 14, 2024 at 9:26 am
Vance maybe very sharp and smart – but that doesn’t mean he is ethical and not self-serving. President and Vice President are position of public SERVICE.
Day 24
August 14, 2024 at 9:48 am
Well Kammy does know a thing or two about service now doesn’t she? Ask Willie.
JD
August 14, 2024 at 10:16 am
Ah, mudslinging without merit. It’s becoming such a winning strategy.
Yrral
August 14, 2024 at 9:38 am
Anybody that believes Alex Jones, could not be smart Google JD Vance Alex Jones
Yrral
August 14, 2024 at 9:50 am
Not very smart dressing up as drag Queen,,JD Vance is insecure about his sexuality,most men like JD det married ,still unsure about their sexuality,they have to compensate,by bashing gay people to deal with their latent gay tendencies Google Latent Gay Tendencies
cassandra was right
August 14, 2024 at 11:24 am
Christian Nationalist JD Vance calls rape and incest “inconvenient” to women and girls. How smart is that?
In the Republican tradition:
“Vance’s Unpopularity Is Only Growing as Voters Learn More About Him—Truthout
TJC
August 14, 2024 at 6:25 pm
Bullshit. Obviously.
Michael K
August 14, 2024 at 8:54 am
During his term as president, Trump told more than 33,000 documented lies. Fact-checkers can barely keep up. He told a whopping 162 lies during his recent 62 minute “press conference.”
I also find it interesting how someone who inherited everything (more than $400 m), with no prior history of any public service, can be considered “someone who cares about people like you,” when there is no record to support that. He started getting $200k a year when he was born, and $1m a year by the time he graduated college. He is not “self-made.” His father bailed him out of various failed ventures multiple times.
This does not seem to matter to members of what has become a cult.
Yrral
August 14, 2024 at 9:35 am
JD Vance would get dumped by Trump,if he could
PeterH
August 14, 2024 at 10:45 am
Yesterday’s WSJ offered an interesting insight into Kamala Harris’s reasoning to not take policy questions at this early stage. The Journal’s take is similar to that of Fareed Zakaria. If she put herself in the hot seat at this juncture she would come across as ill prepared as JD Vance. Those serving as Vice President do not have developed policies of their own …. they are glued to the agenda at the top of the ticket. There is plenty of time between now and Election Day for Kamala and her team to develop a platform of policies to make America a better place for Americans and to implement the all important transition team that is typically in place before the Party’s convention. Readers may find it interesting that Donald Trump doesn’t have a transition team in place. The rumor mill is speculating that Project 2025 will be Trump’s transition. Think about that for awhile.
Michael S
August 14, 2024 at 7:40 pm
I can understand that persons interviewed could assess Trump as strong, crisis capable and maybe even believe he cares about them, but ‘honest’ and ‘disciplined’??…..they must have been living under a rock these past 3 weeks!
SUPER ELVIS
August 15, 2024 at 6:09 pm
Good evening Michael S,
Why do so many of you Dook 4 Brains Leftist commentaters choose the fake name “Michael”?
“Hmmmmm”, said SUPER ELVIS …. “Must be a Gay thing”.
Thank you,
SUPER ELVIS
rick whitaker
August 15, 2024 at 6:35 pm
EARL PITTS AKA BILLY PURSER, are you trolling for a trick? earl, just go to the gay bar where they know you well. on second thought, that might be a reason for you to not go to the gay bar where everyone rolls their eyes when you walk in. mary, you got a toxic personality.
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