In a stunning reversal, Vice President Kamala Harris has lost her commanding five-point lead over former President Donald Trump in the latest NBC News poll, sparking concerns about the Democratic Party’s chances in the upcoming election. Speaking with NBC Today host Savannah Guthrie on Monday, NBC News poll analyst Steve Kornacki attributed the shift to a significant decline in Harris’ favorability rating and a rise in her negative rating, which has now reached parity with Trump’s.
Just one month ago, the same poll showed Harris leading Trump 48-44, with a 48% positive rating and 45% negative rating. However, the latest poll reveals a dramatic reversal, with Harris now trailing Trump 49-48 and a split 43-49 positive-negative rating. “The top line is the 5-point advantage that Kamala Harris had in our last poll is gone. What’s behind that shift?” Guthrie asked Kornacki, to which he replied, “Some things that have changed in that time. I think this might be the biggest for Harris.”
According to Kornacki, the shift in public perception of Harris is evident in the latest poll, which asked respondents to rate their image of the candidates. While Trump’s image rating has remained relatively stable, Harris’ rating has taken a nosedive, with 43% of respondents viewing her positively and 49% negatively. This is a stark contrast to last month’s poll, where 48% of respondents viewed her positively and 45% negatively.
The poll also revealed an interesting twist, with 44% of respondents saying that Trump’s policies helped their family during his presidency, while 31% said they hurt. This retrospective opinion of Trump’s presidency among voters is arguably higher now than when he was in office, with 44% of respondents saying his policies helped their family, compared to 31% who said they hurt. Kornacki noted that this could be a significant factor in the shift in public opinion towards Harris. “The retrospective, you would say, opinion of Trump’s presidency among voters, arguably higher now than when he was president,” he said.
