Former President Donald Trump is growing his support, leading Vice President Kamala Harris in key Sun Belt states, according to a New York Times/Siena poll conducted Monday.
Trump has made gains in Arizona, where he leads Harris by 5 points. The two candidates have 50% and 45% approval ratings, respectively. According to Polls show Trump holding a four-point lead over Harris in Georgia and a two-point lead in North Carolina. (RELATED: Experts say key battleground states are 'pivotal' to Trump's chances of retaking the White House again)
Polls show that while the Republican candidate has a lead, a significant percentage of voters across the three states identify as independents: On average, 31% of Sun Belt voters identify as Democrats, 33% as Republicans, and 31% as independents.
SAVANNAH, GEORGIA – AUGUST 29: Democratic presidential candidate and US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally at EnMarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia, August 29, 2024. Harris has been campaigning in southeast Georgia for the past two days. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
The poll found that the top issues of concern for Sun Belt voters are the economy and immigration, supported by 26% and 16%, respectively, and that when it comes to dealing with those key issues, 50% of voters have confidence in Trump, while only 46% support Harris. (Related: Trump sharply criticized voters' top concerns during Republican National Convention speech, but Harris barely mentioned them.)
Under Harris's presidency, once known as the border czar, more than 10 million immigrants are being held across the country. encounterUnder the Biden-Harris administration, there have been more than 8 million migrant encounters at the southern border alone, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Inflation and economic woes have also been recurring themes over the past four years, with the national debt soaring to $35 trillion in July for the first time in American history. (Related: “Less atmosphere, more policies”: Here's why Harris' approval rating is lower than past Democratic candidates)
Several of the Biden-Harris Administration's policies, such as the American Rescue Plan and the Contract Inflation Act, have increased the federal budget deficit. Passed In March 2021, he approved a $1.9 trillion spending and inflation-fighting bill. Passed In August 2022, it approved an additional $750 billion in spending.
Despite Trump's lead, both candidates have low favorability ratings in the Sun Belt, with Trump receiving an average of 47% favorable and 50% unfavorable ratings among voters, while Harris has a 46% favorable and 51% unfavorable rating.
The poll found that only 30%, 24% and 28% of voters in Arizona, Georgia and North Carolina, respectively, believe the country is heading in the right direction, while roughly two-thirds say the country is heading in the wrong direction — a trend that is consistent across all age and gender groups. (Related: New poll finds majority of voters support mass deportations)
Despite Trump's victory in North Carolina in 2020, President Joe Biden Winner It will take place in both Arizona and Georgia in 2020.
The NYT/Siena poll was conducted Sept. 17-Sept. 21 among 2,077 voters in Arizona, Georgia and North Carolina with a margin of error of +/- 2.5 percentage points.
As an independent, nonpartisan news service, all content produced by the Daily Caller News Foundation is available free of charge to any legitimate news publisher with a large readership. All republished articles must include our logo, reporter byline, and affiliation with the DCNF. If you have any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact us at licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
