Campaign Report — Trump shows fresh signs of momentum

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View Online Campaign Report Campaign Report The Big Story  Trump shows fresh signs of momentum  Vice President Harris saw a big surge, closing the gap with former President Trump when she entered the presidential race after President Biden's surprise withdrawal in July, but her momentum is slipping in the polls.  © AP Harris entered the race with polls showing Biden severely trailing rival Trump, and she sailed on a wave of what pundits called "good vibes."    But the polling data tracked by The Hill/Decision Desk HQ national average analysis shows that while Harris got a big jump when she entered the race, it hasn't really held.    Trump was ahead 48 percent to 45.7 percent when Biden bowed out.    The presidential race now has narrowed to a historically slim margin, with Harris gaining little leverage since her sharp foray into the race.    Here are some of the signs that Trump is now seeing the surge, with less than two weeks until election day:  The polling average on Sept. 23 showed Harris at 50 percent to Trump's 45.6 percent. She has maintained her lead but is grasping. It's now at 48.7 percent to 47.7 percent, according to the latest polling — obviously within the margin of error. Polls further show the race is razor-thin in all of the key battleground states that likely will determine the outcome.  The former president has been making his way through North Carolina and other swing states, and the vice president's campaign has gone all out bringing out big name celebrities like Eminem and former President Obama.   Despite some blunders and crude remarks — including about former golfers' endowments — Trump continues to be the "Teflon Don." The polls show he hasn't lost ground.     Meanwhile, Harris's rare television interviews and other appearances have made little headway.    She received mixed reviews for a CNN town hall Wednesday, fielding questions from voters in the crucial state of Pennsylvania.    CNN's polling expert Harry Enten said this week that he believes a sweep of the main battleground states is "more likely than not," even as polls show all seven of the big swing states almost even between Harris and Trump.   "For all the talk that we've had about this election being historically close, which it is, chances are the winner will still actually score a relative blowout in the Electoral College," Enten said.    Welcome to The Hill's Campaign Report, I'm Liz Crisp. Each week we track the key stories you need to know to stay ahead of the 2024 election and who will set the agenda in Washington.  Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads  Key election stories and other recent campaign coverage: Democrats give Harris rocky reviews on CNN town hall Vice President Harris's CNN town hall performance received tough reviews from fellow Democrats who criticized her for missing the moment to sell her candidacy as polls have started to show a shift toward former President Trump in recent days. Democrats took issue with the vice president being too evasive with her answers and overly relying on her typical stump speech and talking points while fielding a bevy questions from CNN's …  Full Story Navalny widow to Americans: Don't take democracy for granted Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, encouraged Americans not to take democracy for granted, in an interview on ABC's "The View" that aired Thursday. “I would say to American voters, don’t take everything like granted,” Navalnaya said in the interview when asked what her message is to Americans, less than two weeks before the 2024 election. “You are still living …  Full Story Former Romney adviser: Harris will 'win fairly comfortably' GOP strategist Stuart Stevens suggested in a recent interview that Vice President Harris is running what looks to be “the best presidential campaign ever.” “I think the Harris campaign is running what we're probably going to look back at as the best presidential campaign ever run,” Stevens, a former adviser for Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), told Vanity Fair’s Joe Hagan. “Harris is going to win …  Full Story The Countdown  Upcoming news themes and events we're watching: 12 days until Election Day 88 days until the 2025 Inauguration In Other News  Branch out with a different read from The Hill: Scaramucci says he thinks Trump will lose, won't try to foment insurrection Anthony Scaramucci, who briefly served as White House communications director under former President Trump, said Wednesday he expects Trump to lose the presidential election but does not expect him to foment an insurrection. "It’s too close to call," Scaramucci told host Dean Obeidallah on his SiriusXM show when asked how he thought the election might end for Trump. "I think she’s going to win because she’s … Full Story Senate Intelligence chair presses web domain companies to take action against Russian influence operations Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Mark Warner (D-Va.) pressed a select group of domain registrars in the U.S. to address alleged abuse of their services by Russian influence operations during the 2024 election cycle. Warner addressed his letter Thursday to a list of companies included in a Department of Justice (DOJ) affidavit last month. “Information included in the affidavit supporting recent seizure of a number of … Full Story Around the Nation  Local and state headlines regarding campaigns and elections: With 'EV mandate' claims flying, here's what to know as politics hits Michigan auto industry (mlive.com)  Nevada ready for secure, 'solid election,' secretary of state says (KLAS)  Alabama lawmaker vows to continue fight for 'What is a Woman' bill: 'I was maybe too nice' (AL.com)  What We're Reading  Election news we've flagged from other outlets: It's His First Vote for President. He's Torn. And It's Crunch Time. (The New York Times)   GOP candidates embrace Trump's call to abolish Education Department (The Washington Post)   Tucker Carlson Goes on Disturbing Rally Rant About "Dad" Trump Giving 'Bad Little Girl' a "Vigorous Spanking" (The Daily Beast)  How TIME Is Preparing for Election Day. (TIME)   Elsewhere Today  Key stories on The Hill right now: CNN polling guru says battleground state sweep 'more likely than not' CNN polling guru Harry Enten said he believes a sweep of the main battleground states in the presidential election is "more likely than not," even as polls show all seven of the big swing states almost even between Vice President Harris and former President Trump.  Enten, CNN's senior political data reporter, said in segment on the … Read more Colleges left helpless as students rule out schools due to state politics Colleges and universities find themselves increasingly trapped with the politics of the state where they reside. As state legislatures pass sweeping measures on everything from abortion to LGBTQ rights, more than a quarter of students, representing both sides of the aisle, are writing off schools simply based on where they are. And there’s … Read more What People Think  Opinions related to campaigns and elections submitted to The Hill: Failure to launch: The US doesn't need 4 more years of Kamala Harris  4 questions we will be asking about the presidential race after it's over American Jews should not support Donald Trump   You're all caught up. See you next time!  Check out The Hill's Campaign page for the latest coverage. Like this newsletter? Take a moment to view our other topical products here 📩 Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe 400 N Capitol Street NW Suite 650, Washington, DC 20001 Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.

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