Poll Shows Donald Trump Surpassing Kamala Harris in Support Among Independents

 Former President Donald Trump has surpassed Vice President Kamala Harris in support among independents, according to the latest weekly poll from the Economist/YouGov. This survey, conducted after the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, asked respondents, 'In November 2024, who do you plan to vote for in the presidential election?' The options included Trump, Harris, independent candidate Cornel West, and Green Party candidate Jill Stein. Notably, this survey was taken after independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. withdrew from the race and endorsed Trump.

Overall, Vice President Kamala Harris, who many believe is nearing the end of the honeymoon phase of her campaign, leads former President Donald Trump by two percentage points, with 47 percent to Trump’s 45 percent. This is a slight decrease from the previous week, where Harris led by three points.

In the poll, Green Party candidate Jill Stein garnered one percent support, while independent candidate Cornel West received zero percent. Five percent of respondents remain undecided.

While Trump continues to lead among Republicans and Harris among Democrats, Trump has regained a strong lead among independents, with 42 percent support compared to Harris’s 37 percent — a five-point gap.

This shift reflects a gradual trend in Trump’s favor over the past few weeks. Harris initially took the lead among independents, but this was reduced to a tie three weeks ago, with both candidates receiving 36 percent support. Trump gained a one-point lead the following week. Last week, they were tied again at 38 percent support among independents. In other words, Trump’s support among independents has grown by four points in the past week alone, following the Democratic National Convention (DNC) and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s decision to drop out and endorse Trump.

Among independents, two percent now support Stein, and one percent back West. Meanwhile, two percent of respondents indicated they "would not vote" if those were the options, down from six percent who expressed the same sentiment last week.

It’s important to note that this survey comes as both West and Stein urged Democrats to “abandon Harris” during the DNC.

“The Democratic Party is living in illusion and self-deception if they think that they can enable genocide and walk around as if they have moral authority,” West said, referencing the free Palestine movement.

When asked if he was calling for Democratic voters to abandon Harris, West told Breitbart News, “We are calling for more than that.”

Another 13 percent of independents are “not sure” whom they would support, an increase from nine percent the previous week.

This survey was conducted from August 25 to 27, 2024, among 1,555 U.S. adult citizens.

The Democratic National Convention (DNC) appears to have failed to boost enthusiasm and support for Harris.

During the convention, Jill Stein expressed her gratitude to the “Abandon Biden, now Abandon Harris” movement, praising them for their “incredible courage, vision, and unstoppable determination to stand up and lead the way forward.” Stein emphasized the importance of holding the nation’s highest officials, including the occupants of the White House, accountable for what she described as genocide.

“Do not think for a moment that the Democratic Party is the answer to fascism,” Stein stated.

“It would be more accurate to say it is the cause of fascism. Why is that? It’s because the Democrats have pushed this policy, the so-called neoliberal agenda of privatization, of austerity, of major tax giveaways to the super-wealthy, and of endless war,” she added.