WASHINGTON (REUTERS)
Democratic US Vice President Kamala Harris leads Republican Donald Trump 47% to 42% in the race to win the November 5 presidential election, increasing her advantage after a debate against the former president that voters largely think she won, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Thursday.
The two-day poll showed Harris with a five percentage point lead among registered voters, just above the four-point advantage she had over Trump in an August 21-28 Reuters/Ipsos poll.
Among voters who said they had heard at least something about Tuesday's debate, 53% said Harris won and 24% said Trump won. Some 52% of respondents said that Trump stumbled and didn't appear sharp, while 21% said that of Harris.
Harris, 59, put Trump, 78, on the defensive in a combative presidential debate with a stream of attacks on his fitness for office and his myriad legal woes.
The poll surveyed 1,690 US adults nationwide, including 1,405 registered voters. It had a margin of error of around three percentage points for registered voters.
While national surveys, including Reuters/Ipsos' polls give important signals on the views of the electorate, the state-by-state results of the Electoral College determine the winner, with a handful of battleground states likely to be decisive.