NEW DELHI: According to a recent CNN poll, US vice president Kamala Harris, who has both Indian and African ancestry, stands a better chance of winning the White House in the upcoming November presidential elections compared to President Joe Biden.
The 81-year-old president’s approval rating has taken a significant hit following his poor performance in the recent debate against former President Donald Trump in Atlanta.
Since the debate, there has been a growing call within the Democratic party for Biden to withdraw from the race and allow another candidate to run in the crucial November 5 presidential elections. The CNN poll, conducted by SRS, shows Trump leading Biden by six points.
Interestingly, the poll also indicates that Harris is within close range of Trump in a hypothetical matchup. The results show that “47% of registered voters support Trump, 45% Harris, a result within the margin of error that suggests there is no clear leader under such a scenario.”
The poll attributes Harris’ slightly better performance against Trump to “broader support from women (50% of female voters back Harris over Trump vs. 44% for Biden against Trump) and independents (43% Harris vs. 34% Biden).”
When asked about the poll results, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre refrained from directly commenting on the matter, stating that it falls under the purview of the campaign. However, she said the President’s record and accomplishments, which she believes align with the majority of Americans’ views.
Jean-Pierre also noted that ‘with age comes wisdom and experience,’ qualities that the President brings to the table.
In a separate Ipsos poll, former First Lady Michelle Obama leads Trump by a significant 11 points—50 per cent to 39 per cent. However, her office has previously stated in March that she will not be running for president this year.