Vice President Kamala Harris faces declining favorability among American voters just days ahead of the presidential election, as the Democratic nominee struggles to maintain any kind of campaign momentum. RealClearPolitics’ compilation of favorability ratings shows Harris has been under a net negative rating for more than a week, reaching the lowest point since the Democratic convention in August.
Upon entering the race, Harris maintained similar positive and negative perceptions as President Donald J. Trump. Recent surveys indicate a shift in voter sentiment against Harris, who has historically polled behind President Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in their respective races against Trump.
In a RealClearPolitics aggregate on Friday, Harris and Trump were tied, marking the first time Trump matched her polling since early August. A Wall Street Journal national poll released Wednesday shows Trump leading Harris by 3 points.
The Journal notes Harris received her lowest job approval ratings as vice president, with 42 percent approval and 54 percent disapproval, while voter sentiment towards Trump has improved. In response to unfavorable polls, Harris adapted her campaign focus by portraying her political opponent as a threat to democracy. She alleged Trump sought generals similar to Adolf Hitler’s, referencing a recent Atlantic article featuring unsubstantiated claims by Trump’s former chief of staff, John Kelly. Contemporary officials, including Vice President Mike Pence’s former chief of staff, have rejected Kelly’s claims as totally false.
The attacks by Harris and her campaign came after they announced they would get more personal and negative in the campaign’s final days.
Bryan Lanza, senior adviser to the Donald Trump campaign, has further warned that many fake stories about President Trump will likely come out ahead of Election Day.