Poll shows Democratic candidate Kamala Harris leading her Republican rival in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has a lead over Republican rival Donald Trump in three swing states that will be key in the upcoming US election, according to a new poll.
The New York Times/Siena College poll released Saturday showed Harris with 50 percent support among voters in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, compared with 46 percent support for Trump in each state.
The findings come just weeks after Harris launched her campaign to win the White House following U.S. President Joe Biden's decision last month to drop out of the race over concerns about her age and ability to serve another term in office.
Since Harris formally launched her campaign, the US vice president has garnered strong support from key segments of the Democratic Party base (particularly young voters and people of color), as well as from donors and prominent Democratic lawmakers.
His decision to name Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as his vice presidential running mate this week also spurred a new wave of enthusiasm for the Democratic ticket.
But the Biden administration's steadfast support for Israel amid the Gaza war remains a source of criticism, especially in Michigan, a key swing state that is home to one of the largest Arab-American populations in the United States.
At a rally in Detroit this week, Harris pushed back against a group of protesters who had interrupted her speech to demand an end to the war.
“You know what, if you want Donald Trump to win, then say so. Otherwise, I'll do the talking,” he told protesters, prompting widespread criticism from Palestinian rights advocates and other progressives.
But days later, at a rally in Arizona on Friday, Harris changed her tone when faced with more protests over Gaza.
“The president and I are working day and night to achieve that ceasefire agreement and bring the hostages home. I respect their voices, but we are here to talk about the race in 2024,” he said.
Advocates have urged Harris to break with Biden's staunch support for Israel, calling on her to end arms shipments to the US ally amid the Gaza war, among other measures.
Since entering the race, Harris has also faced a series of attacks from Trump, the former president and 2024 Republican presidential nominee, and his running mate, JD Vance.
Asked Thursday how he had altered his approach to Harris' new challenge, Trump insisted he had not.
In a question-and-answer session with reporters that lasted more than an hour, Trump said Harris and Walz were weak candidates who were already falling in the polls.
Despite this, he regretted not being able to face Biden in the election, suggesting that the president was the victim of an unconstitutional plot to oust him from the top of the Democratic ticket.
The Trump campaign has criticized the Harris-Walz race as “every American’s nightmare,” and the former president has personally attacked Harris’ intelligence and racial record.
“He’s not holding any press conferences,” Trump told reporters Thursday. “He doesn’t know how to hold a press conference. He’s not smart enough to hold a press conference.”
