More voters say Harris has right temperament compared with Trump: Poll

More voters say that Vice President Harris has the right temperament to serve as president than former President Trump, according to a new poll shared with The Hill. 

A Harvard CAPS/Harris poll found 45 percent of respondents said Harris has the right temperament for the job, while 35 percent said the same about Trump. Fourteen percent said neither have the right temperament, and 6 percent said they were unsure. 

Respondents also preferred Harris on questions of who is the most trustworthy and honest, who has the right values and who will protect democracy.

More respondents said Harris is trustworthy by a 7-point margin of 42 percent for Harris to 35 percent for Trump; more honest by a 6-point margin of 41 percent to 35 percent; has the right values by a 5-point margin of 44 percent to 39 percent; and will protect democracy by a 4-point margin of 45 percent to 41 percent.

Trump had larger leads on questions about who will “get things done” and be a fighter. Trump led Harris on the question of getting accomplishments done by 9 points, 48 percent to 39 percent; and being a fighter by 12 points, 51 percent to 39 percent. 

The candidates were about even on questions of who will put the country first, who has the right priorities and policies and who will protect the Constitution. 

“Harris wins on temperament to be president but Trump wins on being a fighter and getting things done,” said Mark Penn, the co-director of the poll. “Each candidate has their clear strengths and weaknesses and for now have about the same general favorability.” 

Pollsters found Harris and Trump exactly even in net favorability rating. Harris is viewed favorably and unfavorably by 47 percent each, while Trump is viewed favorably and unfavorably by 48 percent each. 

Both candidates have seen some increases in their favorability ratings across various polls. Trump saw his standing rise after the assassination attempt at a rally earlier this month, while Harris saw her support rise as she consolidated support to become the likely Democratic nominee. 

The Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll survey was conducted from July 26 to 28 and surveyed 2,196 registered voters. It is a collaboration of the Center for American Political Studies at Harvard University and the Harris Poll. 

The survey is an online sample drawn from the Harris Panel and weighted to reflect known demographics. The margin of error for the entire sample was 2.1 percentage points.