Independent Voters Make Unexpected Move as New Poll Reveals the Candidate They’re Voting For

According to a report by Newsweek on Sunday, July 28, 2024, a recent poll has unveiled an unexpected shift among independent voters, revealing the candidate they are now supporting.

This revelation comes amidst a rapidly changing political landscape, following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race and the subsequent surge in support for Vice President Kamala Harris.

Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump faces declining enthusiasm, as the latest poll numbers indicate a notable change in voter sentiment.

President Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the presidential race last Sunday followed weeks of intense internal debates within the Democratic Party.

The discussions centered on whether Biden should pass the torch to the next generation, especially after his lackluster debate performance against Trump last month.

Biden’s endorsement of Harris on the day he withdrew sparked a wave of pro-Harris memes on TikTok, an influx of over $100 million in campaign donations, and the recruitment of 170,000 new campaign volunteers.

At the same time, enthusiasm for Trump seems to have waned.

Despite the fervor following the Republican National Convention (RNC), interest in Trump’s campaign has cooled notably, particularly after the recent assassination attempt on the former president.

This shift is reflected in the latest polling data.

An ABC News/Ipsos poll conducted from July 26 to 27 found that 44 percent of independents have a favorable view of Harris, while 40 percent hold an unfavorable view.

This poll, which surveyed 1,200 U.S. adults, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

However, the specific sample size of independents and its margin of error were not disclosed.

The numbers reveal a significant boost for Harris compared to the previous week.

Harris’s favorability among independents marks a substantial improvement from the prior poll.

In an ABC News/Ipsos poll conducted from July 19 to 20, only 28 percent of independents viewed Harris favorably, while 47 percent had an unfavorable opinion.

That poll surveyed 1,141 U.S. adults and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

Details regarding the sample size of independents were again not provided.

In contrast, Trump’s favorability rating among independents has declined. The July 19 to 20 poll indicated that 35 percent of independents viewed Trump favorably, but in the July 26 to 27 poll, this number dropped to 27 percent.

This decline suggests a cooling of enthusiasm among his supporters.

Analyzing the entire sample from the most recent poll, Harris not only outperformed Trump but also showed notable improvement compared to her standing in the previous week’s poll.

Among all U.S. adults surveyed this week, 43 percent viewed Harris favorably, while 42 percent held an unfavorable opinion.

In the poll from July 19 to 20, only 35 percent had a favorable view of Harris, compared to 46 percent who did not.

Trump’s overall favorability also took a hit.

This week’s poll showed that only 36 percent of respondents have a favorable view of Trump, with 52 percent holding an unfavorable opinion.

Last week’s poll had slightly better results for Trump, with 40 percent of respondents viewing him favorably and 51 percent unfavorably.

When approached for a comment by Newsweek, Trump’s communications director, Steven Cheung, pointed to a recent The Telegraph/Redfield & Wilton Strategies poll.

According to Cheung, this poll had Trump leading Harris by several points in key swing states, including Pennsylvania, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, Florida, and Minnesota.

Cheung emphasized that, with the exception of Florida, Georgia, and Pennsylvania, the results in these states were within the poll’s margin of error.

Additionally, the two candidates were reportedly tied in Wisconsin.