Analyst Warns Republicans Over Tightening Race in Key Sun Belt States: ‘This Should Be an Alarming Fact for the Trump Campaign’
(Screengrab via CNN)
A political analyst has cautioned Republicans to take heed of a new Fox News poll that reveals a “consistent story” of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris closing the gap against Donald Trump in critical Sun Belt states.
Fox News conducted statewide surveys with 1,000 registered voters in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and North Carolina. These polls were taken following the Democratic National Convention and after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. endorsed Trump.
“Harris is up by 1 percentage point in Arizona and by 2 points in Georgia and Nevada, while Trump is ahead by 1 point in North Carolina. All are within the margin of sampling error,” Fox News reported.
Political analyst Astead Herndon, reacting to CNN’s Erin Burnett on Wednesday evening, noted the significance of these findings. Burnett pointed out that a previous Fox News poll had shown Trump leading by 7 points, prompting Herndon to assert, “This should be an alarming fact for the Trump campaign.”
“I think the trend line has been so consistent, if they are not alarmed, there’s probably something wrong there,” Herndon added. Herndon further commented that Trump’s campaign appears to be “flailing,” as it struggles to find a consistent and effective strategy against Harris. He noted that Trump’s recent moves, including bringing in Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have not succeeded in broadening his appeal to voters. Instead, Herndon suggested that Trump is “bleeding” support at this crucial moment.
“What is happening here is Democrats have a much higher upside and are now capitalizing on that because they have a candidate that can do as such,” he explained.
Herndon also highlighted the effectiveness of Harris’s campaign, particularly in its ability to leverage small donations. He noted that the campaign’s fundraising success allows it to invest in key battleground states like Georgia while also protecting other crucial territories.
“It’s Donald Trump now that’s under the political and financial pressure,” Herndon concluded, “most of which is of his own making to not be able to have the ground game that he should by this point.” As the 2024 election draws nearer, these polling trends and campaign dynamics suggest a tightening race, particularly in states that could determine the outcome.
