Trump leads Kamala in latest NYT/Sienna poll, suggesting 'euphoria' has 'stalled'

A recent New York Times/Siena College poll found that Donald Trump holds a slight lead over Kamala Harris among likely voters in the upcoming general election, narrowly beating the vice president 48 percent to 47 percent.

The New York Times reported that the poll is the first "major nonpartisan" national survey in roughly a month to show Trump with a lead and the outlet said is suggested that Harris’ “euphoria” in the election has “stalled.”



The poll found that Trump's approval rating is higher than it was in his previous campaigns in 2016 and 2020, with 46 percent of voters having a favorable view of him. When asked about the most important issues in this election and which candidate would handle them better, Trump had a five-point lead over Harris.

Trump is also perceived as the more moderate candidate compared to Harris. Nearly a majority of voters believe Trump is "not too far" to the right on key issues, while nearly half think Harris is too far to the left. Moreover, 61 percent of voters see Trump as a candidate of "change," compared to just 40 percent who view Harris the same way. Meanwhile, 55 percent said Harris would represent "more of the same." This aligns with the 61 percent of likely voters who expressed a desire for the next president to bring "major change" from the current administration.

The poll's results also reflect a potential downside to Harris's strategy of avoiding most interviews and press conferences. A significant portion—28 percent—of voters said they do not know enough about the Democratic nominee, compared to just 9 percent for Trump. This lack of visibility may be a contributor to the perceptions of Harris as "too liberal or progressive" and as a "risky" choice.

The poll was conducted from September 3 to 6 and questioned 1,695 registered voters.