Former President Donald Trump received a “red flag” about his chances of beating Vice President Kamala Harris after Quinnipiac University released a new poll of three battleground states on Wednesday.
With Election Day less than two months away, Trump and Harris are campaigning in swing states hoping to win over undecided voters while generating enthusiasm among their voting bases. The election remains close, and political analysts view it as a toss-up. But Harris received a boost in her polling numbers after the two candidates participated in an ABC News debate in Philadelphia, of which Harris was largely viewed as the winner.
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Quinnipiac released new poll results Wednesday from Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
The three Midwestern states, which have voted similarly in recent presidential elections, are viewed as perhaps Harris’ easiest path to victory. According to election forecaster FiveThirtyEight, Harris is favored to win 226 Electoral College votes, while Trump is favored to win 219. If Harris carries the three states in the Quinnipiac poll, she would win the 270 Electoral College needed to secure victory.
The poll found Harris leading Trump in each of the three states. She led Trump by 6 points in Pennsylvania (51 percent to 45 percent), 5 in Michigan (50 percent to 45 percent) and 1 in Wisconsin (48 percent to 47 percent).
All three states have been solid for Democrats going blue in every election since 1992 except for when they backed Trump in 2016.
The poll also asked respondents to weigh in on which candidate they believe would be better on key issues, including the economy, immigration, abortion and “preserving democracy in the United States.”
The results of some of the questions could present a concern for Trump, according to Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy. Voters only marginally favor Trump on immigration and the economy, which have been some of his strongest issues, in these states, the poll found.
“Three crucial swing states wave a red flag at the Trump campaign,” Malloy said. “The GOP’s most ‘go to’ attack strategies against Democrats on immigration and the economy may be losing momentum. Likely voters now see little daylight, in most cases, between Harris and Trump on who can best handle those key issues.”
In Pennsylvania, which has been viewed as the potential tipping-point state in the election, voters prefer Trump on the economy only by 2 points (50 percent to 48 percent) and immigration by 4 points (50 percent to 46 percent), according to the survey.
In Michigan, voters prefer Trump on the economy by two points (50 percent to 48 percent) and immigration by one point (49 percent to 48 percent).
Meanwhile, voters in Wisconsin prefer Trump on the economy by four points (51 percent to 47 percent) and immigration by 7 percent (52 percent to 45 percent).
Newsweek reached out to the Trump and Harris campaigns for comment via email.
Voters view the economy in particular as a major issue ahead of November.
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Trump has sought to tie Harris to high rates of inflation experienced globally following the COVID-19 pandemic. But inflation has decreased in recent years, and Democrats say the declining rates are because of the Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law by the Biden administration.
On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates by half of a percentage point, a sign that they believe inflation is headed toward its goal of 2 percent.
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Harris and Trump are scheduled to continue holding events in swing states for the rest of the week. On Thursday, Harris is set to hold an event in Michigan with Oprah Winfrey. On Friday, she will hold a rally in Madison, Wisconsin. Trump is set to rally in Wilmington, North Carolina, on Saturday.
