Two new polls released Wednesday reveal a shift in Democratic enthusiasm for the upcoming presidential election, narrowing the partisan enthusiasm gap that was evident earlier this year during the Biden-Trump race.
In a recent Monmouth University poll, Democratic registered voters' enthusiasm for the race between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris has surged to 85%, a significant increase from the 46% reported in June for a Trump-Biden rematch.
On the GOP side, enthusiasm remains steady at 71% for the current matchup, mirroring sentiments from the Biden-Trump contest in June. The poll indicates that only 8% of registered voters hold negative views of both Trump and Harris, compared to 17% who had negative views of both Trump and Biden.
Another poll shows that 63% of Democratic and Democratic-leaning adults would be excited if Harris were elected president, while 57% of Republican-aligned adults express similar excitement about Trump. This marks a notable increase from March when only 40% of Democratic-aligned Americans expressed excitement about a potential Biden victory.
When comparing the two candidates, more Americans view Harris as committed to democracy, disciplined, honest, having the right vision for the country, and caring about people like them. However, opinions are divided on who is better equipped to handle a crisis and who embodies a strong leader.
The poll also indicates that Harris is trusted over Trump to handle issues such as abortion policy, race and racial equality, and health care. Conversely, Trump is trusted more on matters concerning the economy, immigration, and the war in Gaza. Americans are evenly split on which candidate would better handle crime or the war in Ukraine.
It is important to note that neither poll directly compares Harris and Trump in a head-to-head matchup. The Monmouth poll assesses voters' likelihood of voting for each candidate separately, cautioning against combining or treating these responses as a horserace question.
