A recent survey conducted by the Economist/YouGov discovered that a significant number of independent voters prefer former President Donald Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris as their preferred leader for the country. The survey was conducted following the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois.
The respondents were asked a straightforward question: “Between Harris and Trump, who would you prefer to have as president?” While Harris led Trump by two points nationally, Trump had a one-point edge on this specific question. Forty-seven percent of the respondents preferred Trump as their leader, compared to 46% who preferred Harris.
The results were even more striking among independent voters. By a margin of 12 percentage points, independents expressed their preference for Trump over Harris. Nearly half (49%) said they would prefer Trump as president, while just 37% chose Harris. Thirteen percent of the respondents said they “prefer both equally.
This trend is in line with another surprising result from the same poll. Independents are shifting back towards supporting Trump. Trump leads among Republicans, and Harris leads among Democrats; however, Trump has regained a solid lead among independents. Forty-two percent of the respondents chose Trump compared to 37% who supported Harris – a five-point gap.
Over the past few weeks, there has been a slow swing in Trump’s direction, with his support among independents growing by four points within just one week following the DNC and RFK Jr.’s withdrawal from the race. The survey was conducted between August 25-27, 2024, among 1,555 U.S. adult citizens and was fielded prior to Harris’s interview with CNN, where she discussed her perceived success in addressing inflation and lowering prices during her three and a half years in office.