Before President Joe Biden stepped down as the Democratic candidate, polls were consistently favoring the GOP candidate, former President Donald Trump. Now, things have changed.
Going into the Democratic National Convention later this month, it looks like Vice President Kamala Harris will be at the top of the ticket, along with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate. Recent polls show Harris in the lead.
With this switch things are reportedly tense behind the scenes at Trump HQ, according to a report from The New York Times. It said that, in private, Trump called Harris – who would be the first female president of the U.S. if she’s elected in November – a “b****” repeatedly, citing two unnamed sources.
“That is not language President Trump has used to describe Kamala,” said Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung, who denied that the former president made the remarks. He also said that is “not how the campaign would characterize her.”
Vanity Fair noted that “Trump has used this gendered slur to talk about women, or benefited from its use, throughout his career,” and that he didn’t “shy away from the language in 2016 when running against Hillary [Clinton].”
Earlier this month, Audacy reported on Trump saying he wasn’t going to be “nice” to his political opponents, though some suspected a change of heart after he narrowly survived an assassination attempt. He even trotted out new nicknames for Harris and has repeatedly called her “crazy” and “nuts” during public engagements. In a Saturday Truth Social post, he called her a “RADICAL LEFT LUNATIC.”
In addition to mentioning Trump’s alleged use of derogatory terms for Harris, the New York Times also said we’ve just seen “the worst three weeks of Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign,” in its article. It also said that the GOP candidate has been in a “foul mood.”
Economist polling averages updated Saturday showed that Harris was in the lead at 47.5% compared to Trump’s 45.8%. A New York Times/Siena College poll released Saturday showed that 50% of the likely electorate said they would vote for Harris, compared to 46% for Trump. It also showed she had a lead in three key swing states: Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan.
As of Saturday, FiveThirtyEight polling data showed that her approval rating was nearly even with Trump’s at around 43%. At the same time, their “disapproval” ratings were further apart – Trump’s was 51.6% and Harris’ was 48.6%.
While polls have shown a positive reaction to Harris’ VP pick, Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) has become increasingly unpopular. He landed in hot water recently when he called Democratic voters “childless cat ladies.”