Donald Trump surged ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris by 2% — as 52% of voters now approve of his past job as president while his Democratic opponent’s favorability rating took a hit, according to a new poll.
Trump took a slight 47%-45% edge over Harris in a new Wall Street Journal poll — a four-point swing from an August survey in which she had a slight advantage over the 45th president.
Both polls included third-party candidates.
The most recent difference is still within the margin of error so Harris could actually be leading Trump, according to the Journal.
Voters also have a more negative view of the veep since August, with 53% of voters having an unfavorable view of her against 45% that still view her favorably, the poll released on Wednesday found.
She also clinched the worst job rating as vice president out of the three times the Journal has posed the question since July, with only 42% approving the job she’s done as second-in-command to outgoing President Biden, 81.
On the other hand, Trump, 78, has seen a bump in this most recent poll, with voters describing his only term in the Oval Office more favorably than at any point this election season, according to the Journal.
About 52% approve of the job he did while 48% disapproved of his four-year stint in the Executive Mansion.
Trump performed better in the poll than Harris, 60, when voters were asked about immigration, the economy and inflation while voters gave Harris the nod over which candidates would better handle the issue of abortion.
“Voters are finally getting to know her,’’ Republican pollster David Lee, who conducted the poll with Democrat Michael Bocian, told the Journal.
“The definitional period is coming to an end, and more people are unhappy with what they have learned about her than what they know about President Trump.”
But Bocian argued more voters still found Trump “too extreme” compared to Harris by a 49%-39% margin while noting Harris’ lead with voters over abortion.
She also led slightly when voters were questioned about who can best help the middle class.
“If she can succeed in making this campaign about those images and issues first and foremost, while also continuing to make the case for who’s the best fighter for the middle class, she can win a very close race,” Bocian said.
The Journal’s poll surveyed 1,500 registered voters between Oct. 19-22.
