Kamala Harris Erases Donald Trump's Significant Lead On Mental Sharpness
Published Aug 18, 2024 at 8:08 AM EDT

Vice President Kamala Harris has reversed Donald Trump's former
significant lead in two attributes on which President Joe Biden was
seriously lagging before he dropped out of the presidential race,
according to a new poll.

The survey, conducted between August 9 and 13 by Langer Research
Associates for ABC News and The Washington Post, revealed that the
majority of Americans now see Harris as more physically able to serve as
president than Trump.

When asked who was in better physical health to serve, Harris had 30-
point lead, with 56 percent of respondents choosing her and only 26
percent choosing Trump. The poll surveyed 2,336 adults and had a margin
of error of +/- two percentage points.

This marks a dramatic shift from the previous month when Trump held a 31-
point lead over Biden on the same attribute.

Additionally, Harris led Trump by 9 percentage points (46 percent-37
percent) in being perceived as having the mental sharpness necessary for
the presidency.
Kamala Harris
Vice President Kamala Harris at a campaign event in Raleigh, North
Carolina, on August 16, 2024. Harris has overtaken Donald Trump in
physical health and mental sharpness in a recent survey. Julia
Nikhinson/ASSOCIATED PRESS

This surge for Harris effectively erases the 30-point lead Trump held
over Biden in July.
Sign up for Newsletter Newsletter
The Bulletin
Your Morning Starts Here
Begin your day with a curated outlook of top news around the world and
why it matters.

I want to receive special offers and promotions from Newsweek
By clicking on SIGN ME UP, you agree to Newsweek's Terms of Use & Privacy
Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.

Newsweek has contacted Harris and Trump's campaigns for comment via email
outside of business hours.

Biden dropped out of the race for the White House and endorsed Harris on
July 21, after facing mounting calls to step aside when his first debate
against Trump drew criticism for his age and apparent mental and physical
frailness.

At 81, Biden is the oldest U.S. president in history, and if elected,
Trump, at 78, will overtake Biden as the oldest by the end of his term.
Harris, meanwhile, is 59, and will be 60 by the time of the election.
Exclusively Available to Subscribers
Try it now for $1

The survey shows that the majority of respondents think Harris is
physically healthier than Trump.

Trump is well known for eating lots of fast food and drinking 12 cans of
Diet Coke a day. His 2020 White House medical examination reported that
he was obese and had elevated blood-pressure, despite remaining otherwise
healthy.

Harris, meanwhile, told Barack Obama in 2020 that she works out every
day.

In relation to mental sharpness, Trump has faced criticism for his
rambling, sometimes incoherent speeches, which have included him
stumbling over phrases, repeatedly mentioning fictional serial killer
"the late, great Hannibal Lecter," in connection to illegal immigration,
which some critics speculate may be because he is conflating asylum-
seekers with mental-health centers, and in June, going on an bizarre rant
involving a hypothetical about sharks, boats, and batteries.

Trump has attacked Harris as having an "extremely low IQ," while other
conservatives have attacked her for being unable to speak unscripted
without descending into "word salad." However, this poll suggests more
voters think she is mentally sharper than Trump.

In broader polling trends, Trump had been leading Biden in the seven most
competitive swing states: Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Nevada,
Georgia, North Carolina, and Arizona, as well as making gains in
traditionally Democratic-leaning states like Minnesota, New Hampshire,
and Virginia, positioning him as the strong favorite to take the White
House.

However, the momentum has shifted since Harris became the presumptive
Democratic nominee, and she is now strongly ahead in all Democrat-leaning
states as well as leading in Pennsylvania, Nevada, Michigan, and
Wisconsin, and Arizona, with Trump currently leading in Georgia, and
North Carolina.

Harris has generated massive fundraising and a surge of excitement to
match her moving the dial for the Democrats' polling comeback.