US elections: New Iowa poll shows Harris leading over Trump in race

Trump said that the poll released Saturday was fake. I'm not down in Iowa, he asserted

Vice President Kamala Harris is leading 47 percent to 44 percent over former President Donald Trump among likely voters in Iowa, a new poll showed two days ahead of the high-stakes election for the White House.

Trump was quick to reject the poll as "fake" and "skewed". He said it was carried to favour his Democratic rival.

"One of my enemies just puts out a poll -- I am 3 down. (Iowa Senator) Joni Ernst called me, everyone's called me, they said you are killing in Iowa. The farmers love me and I love them," he said at a rally in key battleground state of Pennsylvania.

 

Trump said the poll released on Saturday was "fake". "I am not down in Iowa."  The poll by Des Moines Register newspaper came even as both Trump and Harris criss-crossed key battleground states to make their closing remarks ahead of the November 5 n national election day.

The outcome of the poll in Iowa, which is not a battleground state, is being seen as disappointing signal for Trump as it indicated a shift toward Harris.

In September, a poll by the same outlet had shown Trump leading by four points over Harris. 

In June, when President Joe Biden was in the race, Trump was ahead by 18-point over the Democratic leader.

According to the latest poll, Harris is leading in the race in view of support from women and independent voters.

More than 75 million Americans have already cast their votes as of Sunday, according to the University of Florida's Election Lab that tracks early and mail-in voting across the US.

The poll of 808 likely Iowa voters, which include those who have already voted as well as those who say they definitely plan to vote, was conducted from October 28 to 31, Des Moines Register said.

It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points, it added. In September, a poll by the same media outlet had shown Trump leading by four points over Harris by 4 points.

In June, when President Joe Biden was in the race, Trump was ahead by 18-point over the Democratic leader.

A separate poll by NBC News found a neck and neck contest between Harris and Trump. It showed Harris getting support from 49 per cent of registered voters in a head-to-head matchup, while Trump gets an identical 49 per cent.

Just 2 per cent of voters said they are unsure about the choice, according to NBC News. Meanwhile, Trump and Harris continued to travel various battleground states to drum up support.

In the overall campaign, Harris has been projecting the election as the one to protect the country's fundamental freedoms, safeguard constitutional values and ensure women's rights.

On his part, Trump has been promising to rebuild the economy and rid the US from illegal migration.

On Sunday, Trump is holding rallies in Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia. Harris is addressing gatherings in various places in Michigan. Harris is also scheduled to address two rallies in the battleground state of Pennsylvania on Monday.

On Sunday, she told reporters in Detroit that she has filled her ballot through mail. "My ballot is on its way to California, and I'm going to trust the system that it will arrive there," she said.

Trump has been targeting the mail voting system.