On Tuesday, September 10th, a new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll revealed significant shifts in voter support, with former President Donald Trump making notable gains among independents and Latino voters. Trump surged by 14 points with independents, overtaking Vice President Kamala Harris, leading 49% to 46%. This marks a dramatic turnaround from August when Harris held an 11-point lead among independents.
Latino voters also shifted in Trump’s favor, with the former president now leading Harris by 4 points, 51% to 47%. This is a striking 19-point swing from the previous poll, where Harris had a commanding 15-point lead over Trump. Analysts attribute this change to Harris’ waning momentum and the endorsement of Trump by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who dropped out of the race after securing 12% support in the earlier survey.
The poll indicates a tightening race overall, with Harris leading Trump by just 1 point nationally, 49% to 48%, among registered voters. Among those who say they definitely plan to vote in November, Harris has a slight advantage, leading 51% to 48%. Dr. Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, noted, “Only single digits separate the candidates on most of the issues important to voters.”
On key issues, Trump continues to lead on immigration (53%), the economy (52%), and handling the Middle East (51%). Harris, however, is viewed as the better candidate on the issue of abortion, with 56% of voters supporting her stance compared to Trump’s 42%. The poll also highlighted deep gender divides, with Harris leading among women by 15 points, while Trump has a 12-point advantage among men.
The poll’s results came just ahead of the high-stakes debate between Harris and Trump in Philadelphia on Tuesday night, where both candidates attempted to solidify their standing among undecided voters. 67 million Americans tuned in to watch the debate, a 31% increase from the viewership of the Trump-Joe Biden debate which only saw 51 million Americans watching.
