Harris Heads to Chicago With Momentum — and GOP Criticism Rising

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(Bloomberg) — Kamala Harris heads into the Democratic National Convention riding a wave of momentum, as Republicans work to build an advantage with voters by attacking her new economic agenda.

A poll released Sunday showed Harris narrowly leading Trump in a head-to-head matchup, 49%-45%, among registered voters nationwide. The same poll, conducted by The Washington Post, ABC News and Ipsos, showed a close tie in early July when the nominee was President Joe Biden.

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The results are in line with other recent polls that have shown how Harris’s replacement of Biden at the top of the ticket has shaken up the race and energized Democrats.

But the poll, like others, shows that voters have more confidence in Republicans on the economy. It showed 46 percent trusting Trump more than 37 percent trusting Harris, with similar numbers on inflation. The margin of error is plus or minus 2 percentage points.

“The most absurd thing Kamala says at her rallies is, ‘On day one, I’m going to fix the food and housing affordability crisis in this country.’ Kamala Harris’s first day was three and a half years ago, and all she’s done is make the affordability problem worse,” Trump’s vice presidential pick, J.D. Vance, said on “Fox News Sunday.”

In an appeal to middle- and lower-class voters on Friday, Harris called for an end to price hikes at grocery stores and proposed new tax benefits and subsidies aimed at helping first-time homebuyers and families with children.

“It’s going to be a Soviet-style approach to lowering prices, which is called price controls,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

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Inflation is generally on a downward trend as the economy slowly shifts to a slower pace. Core U.S. inflation fell for a fourth month on a year-over-year basis in July. Core consumer prices — which strip out food and energy costs — rose 3.2% in July from a year earlier, down from a peak of 6.6% in 2022.

Graham, who has criticized some of Trump’s tactics in the race, said Republicans could win if they talked about politics, especially the economy. He said he worried that Trump — who called Harris “crazy” at a rally Saturday and claimed he was better-looking than her — might not do that.

“His policies are good for America, and if you had a political debate about who is a presidential candidate, he would win,” Graham said. “Donald Trump, the private man — the agitator and the braggart — may not win this election.”

Harris’s policy announcement came ahead of a convention in Chicago called “For the People, For Our Future.” A number of former presidents and party leaders, including Bill Clinton and Barack and Michelle Obama, will attend. The city is also bracing for widespread protests by demonstrators opposing Israel’s war in Gaza and U.S. support for it.

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Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, were campaigning in southwestern Pennsylvania on Sunday.

In interviews Sunday on the eve of the convention, top Democrats praised Harris’s performance since becoming a candidate — and argued that her economic plans were sound and popular.

“Harris understands what people are going through and wants to help you keep more money in your pocket,” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a key state for Democrats to win, said on NBC. “She has a plan on all of these fronts to help more Americans get on a path to prosperity.”

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., said Harris’ plan was “to enable people who rely on these tips to help pay their grocery bills to put gas in their tanks.”

“Then we have to go after the wealthiest Americans who are not paying their fair share, and frankly, Donald Trump is on their side. He’s on the side of corporations. He’s on the side of people who make over a million dollars,” she said on ABC’s This Week.

—With the assistance of Victoria Cavalier.

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