OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Continuing an October trend, former President Donald Trump has expanded his lead over Vice President Kamala Harris in the latest Rasmussen Reports daily tracking poll.
The organization recently shared its findings with Secrets, indicating that Trump now holds a 3-point lead at 50% to Harris’s 47%. Previously, he led by a narrower margin of 49% to 47%.
“In the survey, Trump leads Harris among Hispanic voters, 49%-45%, and he is winning 32% of the black vote,” the Washington Examiner reported, citing the data.
Rasmussen recently transitioned to producing a daily presidential election tracking poll and expanded its survey sample on Monday to include 3,384 likely voters, resulting in a margin of error of plus or minus 1 point.
The polling model continues to reflect the composition used in the 2020 election, featuring 35% Democrats, 33% Republicans, and 32% independents, the outlet added.
If the 2024 election were between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, who would you vote for?
Independents Only-
Trump: 50% (+8)
Harris: 42%
Someone Else: 3%
Not Sure: 4% https://t.co/KPeaR9t323— Rasmussen Reports (@Rasmussen_Poll) October 21, 2024
Trump has been reveling in his recent surge in the polls, exhibiting a newfound swagger and confidence on the campaign trail. He has even infused a greater sense of humor into his appearances, while Harris has adopted a more combative tone.
For instance, just on Sunday, Trump worked the fryer at a McDonald’s and attended a Pittsburgh Steelers game.
Meanwhile, the concerns about the economy and personal finances continue to be the number one issue among voters. Nearly 40% of Americans are worried about being able to pay all of their bills on time, a higher percentage than during the Great Recession of 2008-09, according to a recent survey.
A CNN poll revealed that 39% of Americans are concerned about consistently paying their bills, a 33% increase from the peak of Bidenflation and exceeding the 37% during the 2008 crisis, when unemployment was nearly 10%, the outlet reported, citing the polling results.
Inflation during the Biden-Harris administration has reached new heights in the modern era, and while it has eased somewhat in recent months, it remains stubbornly high, raising the costs of food, gasoline, housing, and other basic amenities like utilities. CNN added that “consumers are still trying to catch up to the price spikes of the last few years.”
The Daily Signal, citing the survey, added:
Still trying to catch up is an understatement. The gap between nominal wages and inflation-adjusted wages since 2021 is more than 20%. So, it looks like you’re making a lot more, but even accounting for official inflation, workers have lost thousands in income.
Of course, if official inflation is a lie, which seems likely, going by real-world prices from housing to restaurants and groceries, then workers have lost a lot more.
To illustrate, official inflation since COVID-19 is 21%, but fast-food menu prices—a standard finance proxy for true inflation—are up more than twice that, while housing costs have doubled since COVID-19, between rising house prices and rising mortgage rates.
If those real-world numbers are closer to true inflation, then workers have lost potentially thousands per month.
CNN reported that 35 percent of respondents, or over one-third, have had to take on additional part-time work to make ends meet. This includes 44% of Black individuals, 52% of Latinos, and nearly half of workers under age 45.
“That explains why jobs are rising on paper, yet the actual number of employed Americans is plunging—down 600,000 in the past eight months alone,” the Daily Signal added.
The poll also revealed that over two-thirds of Americans are reducing their grocery spending, and almost half are driving less to save on gas. Furthermore, 4 in 10 Americans are resorting to credit cards to cover essential expenses such as groceries and gas.
Labor Department data released earlier this month showed that employers added only 114,000 jobs in July, falling short of the 175,000 gain predicted by LSEG economists. Furthermore, the unemployment rate unexpectedly rose to 4.3% from 4.1%, contrary to expectations that it would remain stable.
