Polls can be finicky, and the results can be highly diverse. However, they do offer an insight into popular opinion on various topics. Liberty Nation News put together a comparison of polls spanning several political topics to help get a bigger picture of America’s views.
Trump vs Harris
The Wall Street Journal
According to a survey from The Wall Street Journal, Donald Trump had a six-point lead over Joe Biden just before he backed out of the 2024 race in favor of his VP. Currently, the former president is ahead of Kamala Harris 49% to 47%, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. Although the vice president is getting a larger share of young voters than Biden did earlier this month, she still has less support from them than the current president did in 2020, the poll found.
Democratic pollster Mike Bocian conducted the survey with Republican pollster David Lee. “Only 37% of Biden voters were enthusiastic about him in early July and now 81% of Harris voters are enthusiastic about her,” Bocian told WSJ.
RealClearPolitics
As of July 29, the RealClearPolitics average shows Trump ahead of Harris with a 1.7% lead (47.9% to 46.2%). When it comes to battleground states, the former president is still doing better. Trump leads Harris by three points in Pennsylvania and four and a half points in Georgia.
Rasmussen
Rasmussen polls show that, overall, Trump is ahead of Harris by seven points: 50% to 43%. Among independent voters, the former president has a more significant 20-point lead. What isn’t a surprise is the gender gap between the two candidates. Trump leads with men by a 12-point margin (53% – 41%) but only has a two-point lead among women voters (47% to 45%).
Fox News
Fox News conducted its survey between July 22-24 and found that, in the battleground states, Trump and Harris are neck-and-neck. For this poll, 1,000 registered voters from four of those crucial states were surveyed. In Michigan and Pennsylvania, the two candidates are tied, but in Minnesota, Harris leads Trump 52% to 46%. In Wisconsin, Trump has a one-point lead.
The top three concerns for voters polled are the economy, immigration, and abortion. Those with worries about the economy and immigration were more likely to vote for Trump, while those who support abortion rights, not surprisingly, were more likely to vote for Harris.
Republicans vs Democrats
A new YouGov survey looked at different characteristics or traits associated with Republicans and Democrats. The survey was conducted after Trump was found guilty of 34 felonies but before the presidential debate. The respondents were 33% Democratic and 31% Republican.
When it comes to corruption, neither party stood above the other. Republicans and Democrats are seen equally as corrupt by 34% of poll-takers. Here are some other traits and how the parties ranked:
Patriotic
- Republicans: 34%
- Democrats: 19%
Realistic
- Both parties tied at 21%
Respectable
- Democrats: 20%
- Republicans: 18%
Capable
- Republicans: 22%
- Democrats: 20%
Intelligent
- Republicans: 21%
- Democrats: 20%
Dishonest
- Democrats: 34%
- Republicans: 32%
Incompetent
- Democrats: 36%
- Republicans: 30%
Anti-American
- Democrats: 24%
- Republicans: 17%
Criminal
- Democrats: 23%
- Republicans: 22%
Out of Control
- Both parties were equal with 28%
Delusional
- Both parties were equal with 26%
According to those surveyed, Democrats are also more generous, balanced, and rational, while Republicans are more law-abiding and strong.
YouGov Politics in the Polls
YouGov conducted a series of polls on political views ranging from Biden endorsing Harris to support of JD Vance as vice president nominee.
Biden and Harris
When respondents were asked if they supported or opposed Biden endorsing Harris as the new Democratic nominee for president, 32% said they strongly supported the decision while 24% said they strongly oppose. Another 18% were not sure.
Some, such as Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, have said that if Biden is not fit to run for re-election, he is not fit to stay in office. One of the YouGov polls asked if Biden should complete his term or resign. The results showed 56% agreed he should complete his term, 30% said he should resign, and 14% were unsure.
Vice Presidential Picks
JD Vance (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Does the running mate a presidential candidate chooses matter when it comes time to vote? YouGov’s poll asked how important the choice of VP candidates will be this year. The results show that 26% believed the potential VP is “somewhat important,” 23% said it is “very important,” 18% thought it was “not very important,” 15% said “not important at all,” and then 5% of respondents asserted that they don’t plan to vote this election.
Donald Trump took some people by surprise when he chose JD Vance as his running mate. YouGov asked its poll-takers if they had a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Vance. The poll showed 43% were “not sure,” 22% were “very unfavorable,” 7% said “somewhat unfavorable,”15% said “somewhat favorable,” and 14% chose “very favorable.”
YouGov then asked: “Was Donald Trump’s pick of J.D. Vance as his running mate…?” with the following responses:
- Not sure: 37%
- A bad pick but not the worst possible pick: 16%
- A good pick but not the best possible pick: 15%
- The best possible pick he could have made: 12%
- Neither good nor bad: 11%
- The worst possible pick he could have made: 9%
Political Violence and the Secret Service
YouGov’s poll asked: “Do you think the current political climate makes politically motivated violence more or less likely than normal, or the same amount?” The response of “more likely” gathered a whopping 67% while only 8% responded with “less likely.” One-tenth said “same as normal,” and 14% were “not sure.”
When Trump was shot in the ear during his July 13 rally, the Secret Service came under fire for not doing its job. YouGov’s poll asked respondents how confident they are that the Secret Service can protect presidential candidates from harm. Surprisingly, the majority (45%) felt “somewhat confident,” 20% were “very confident,” 17 % chose “not very confident,” and 7% said “not confident at all.” Eleven percent were “not sure.”
Polls give us a good insight into how Americans feel about certain topics, but the results are determined by who is conducting the polls, the pool of respondents, and even the way the questions are formed. As evidenced by the selection in this article, the results vary quite a bit on who is leading the presidential race: The Wall Street Journal has Trump leading Harris by just two percentage points, RealClearPolitics shows Trump with a 1.7 lead, and Rasmussen reports a seven-point lead for the former president. What we can gather from these polls is that while Trump is currently ahead of Harris, that gap is narrowing – at least for the time being.
