The betting markets for the 2024 presidential election, a significant indicator of public opinion and political trends, have shown little enthusiasm for Vice President Kamala Harris’ recent performance on CNN. Newsweek consulted with two major bookmakers to gauge reactions to Harris’ appearance on the network. Following her pre-taped interview with Dana Bash, both Star Sports and Betfair noted significant shifts in the betting odds.
Prior to the interview, Kamala Harris was considered a favorite to win, with odds of 10/11 (52.4 percent) according to Star Sports. By Friday morning, however, she had been tied with Donald Trump at 19/20 (51.3 percent) each following the pre-taped interview. Meanwhile, Betfair saw Trump’s odds of victory improve from 21/20 (48.8 percent) before the interview to 20/21 (51.2 percent.
This marked the first time Kamala Harris faced unscripted questions since she was officially named as the Democratic Party nominee and President Joe Biden moved into a less prominent role. Star Sports betting analyst William Kedjanyi noted that “Vice President Harris is now tied at 19/20 with Republican candidate Donald Trump, drifting slightly from 10/11 yesterday.” He also observed that while the vice president had been as high as 5/6 in recent weeks, she has failed to gain significant ground on Trump in the market. GOP supporters would undoubtedly hope for Trump to capitalize and push ahead of Harris before November’s election.
Betfair spokesperson Sam Rosbottom shared a similar sentiment, expressing skepticism about the impact of the interview on Trump’s chances. Before Kamala Harris’ sit-down interview with CNN overnight,” said Rosbottom, “the Betfair Exchange market had more or less been neck and neck.” Despite some back-and-forth in momentum throughout August, it seems that Trump has emerged as the odds-on favorite once again, backed into 21/20 at Betfair.
In conclusion, the betting markets for the 2024 presidential election have become less enthusiastic about Kamala Harris’ prospects following her recent CNN appearance. Both Star Sports and Betfair noted shifts in odds that favor Donald Trump, who is now considered an odds-on favorite in November’s election by both bookmakers. Time will tell if this trend continues or if the vice president can regain momentum leading up to the election.