Harris solidifies support with Black voters, Trump numbers hold steady: poll
More Black Americans are planning to make their voices heard on Election Day now that Vice President Kamala Harris has replaced President Biden as the Democratic nominee, according to a Monday poll.
The Washington Post-Ipsos poll found that 69% of Black Americans say they are "absolutely certain to vote" on Election Day, compared to 62% in April. Meanwhile, a similar New York Times poll found Sunday that 56% of Black Americans said they were "almost certain" to vote, with an additional 33% saying they were "very likely" to vote.
The Post poll found that Harris' candidacy has had the largest impact on young Black voters, particularly women. The share of Black Americans under 30 who plan to vote has risen 15 points from April, to 47%. Meanwhile, intent to vote among Black women under 40 rose by 18 points since April, to 57%.
Among Black registered voters, 82% say they favor Harris over Trump, according to the Post, while only 12% say they favor Trump. In the Times poll, 78% of Black Americans said they favored Trump, and Trump scored 14%.
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The Post and Ipsos conducted the poll from Aug. 23 to Sept. 3, surveying 1,083 Black Americans. The poll advertises a margin of error of 3.2%.
Harris holds solid or dominating majority support from Black voters when it comes to the issues as well. Only when it comes to Israel's war with Hamas does she lose out on a majority, with 49% of Black Americans saying they trust her to handle the issue. A striking 28% said neither candidate could be trusted on the topic.
Trump's best performance is on immigration, where 19% of Black Americans say he is best to handle the issue. Harris maintains a commanding 55% support on the issue, however.
The poll lands just one day before Harris and Trump are set to square off in their first presidential debate on Tuesday. The pair's campaigns have already laid the groundwork for lines of attack.
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Trump is expected to lean into Harris' role in the 2021 withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, which saw 13 soldiers killed in a suicide bombing. Several relatives of those soldiers have endorsed Trump and criticized Harris in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, Harris' campaign sought to counter that narrative this week with a letter from 10 retired generals and admirals saying President Biden and Harris had done their best with a poor situation left to them by Trump's own administration.