Vice President Kamala Harris is inching closer to former President Donald Trump in terms of voter trust on economic matters, as per a recent Financial Times/Michigan Ross poll. The survey, conducted from August 1 to August 5, revealed that 42% of voters trust Harris with economic issues, just one percentage point ahead of Trump. However, this slim lead falls within the poll’s margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points.
Previous polls have shown Trump with a significant lead over Harris on economic issues. For instance, the CNBC All-America Economic Survey indicated that voters believe they would be financially better off under Trump rather than Harris by a 2-to-1 margin.
Nonetheless, the recent FT/Michigan Ross poll suggests a potential shift in the dynamics of the Democratic ticket. Last month, only 35% of voters approved of President Joe Biden’s handling of the economy, trailing behind Trump’s 41%. Since Biden exited the race and threw his support behind Harris, the vice president has seen a surge in donations, volunteers, and rally attendance.
Despite the reshuffling in the election race, the economy remains a crucial issue for voters, with inflation and the high cost of living at the forefront of national polls.
As Harris enters her third week of the presidential campaign, she is yet to unveil a formal economic policy platform. However, she hinted that it would be released in the coming days. In the interim, both voters and donors are left wondering how she may differentiate herself from the current administration, which often faces criticism for the public’s economic discontent.
Sixty percent of respondents to the FT/Michigan Ross survey believe Harris should either completely distance herself from Biden’s economic policies or make significant alterations to his agenda. Trump has historically capitalized on voters’ economic concerns, trying to paint them as results of the Biden-Harris administration’s policies. For instance, when markets plunged recently, Trump dubbed it the “Kamala Crash” on Truth Social.
Tying the Biden-Harris administration to voters’ economic anxieties has proven effective for Trump, with 42% of respondents stating they would be “much” or “somewhat” better off in a hypothetical second Trump term, compared to 33% who say the same of Harris.
