Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are nearly tied in national polling following the Democratic National Convention, with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s recent exit slightly benefiting the Republican candidate. According to an Echelon Insights survey, Trump holds a narrow lead over Harris, 49% to 48%, in a head-to-head matchup. However, when third-party candidates are included, Harris leads Trump 47% to 45%.
Kennedy, who suspended his campaign and endorsed Trump last Friday, garnered 4% support, while Green Party candidate Jill Stein and Libertarian Chase Oliver each received 1%. An exact figure for Independent candidate Cornel West was not provided.
Without Kennedy in the race, Trump gained roughly three percentage points, bringing him to a tie with Harris at 48% each, with Stein, Oliver, and West each receiving 1%.
Trump’s supporters are optimistic that Kennedy’s suspension of his campaign, along with his withdrawal from the ballot in about 10 key states, could provide a significant boost for the former president. Kennedy remains on the ballot in several less competitive states.
The Democratic National Committee dismissed the development, issuing a memo from adviser Ramsey Reid that outlined various data points and concluded that Kennedy’s exit changes “nothing.”
Reflecting the polarization in the country, 52% of respondents described the “Biden-Harris administration” as mostly a failure (15%) or a total failure (37%), while 45% viewed it as mostly a success (28%) or a total success (17%). When Harris was removed from the equation and voters were asked specifically about the “Biden administration,” opinions improved slightly, with 52% labeling it a total failure (35%) or mostly a failure (17%), and 46% calling it a total success (15%) or mostly a success (31%).
