After nearly four years under President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, it turns out Americans are ready to move in a different direction.
At least, that’s certainly what they say.
Here are the realities facing this country: The southern border is mostly open. Uncontrollable spending. Everything comes at a high cost. illegal overreach of the executive branch. Lies about the president’s physical fitness.
It’s no wonder that the economy and immigration are the biggest issues for voters this election. And while Harris is trying to brand herself as a candidate for regime change, that defies logic given her current role in the White House.
All of this points to this being a breakout year for the Republican Party. Recent polls and surveys have made this clear.
But there is one clear obstacle to Republican success in November.
Donald Trump.
Republicans are in a better position than they have been in decades.
A recent blockbuster poll from Gallup highlights how all important pre-election policies are moving in favor of Republicans.
The report states: “The main reasons for this are the Republican Party’s dominance in partisan perceptions and preferences among American adults, the belief that Republicans are better able to address the most important issues facing this country than Democrats, and Americans’ “People’s reputation and negative evaluation of the economy due to the establishment of the Democratic Party”.
For the first time in decades, more U.S. adults identify as Republicans or lean Republican (48%) than identify as Democrats or lean Republican. (45%). According to Gallup, this is also the first time that Republicans have had a “complete advantage in party affiliation in the third quarter of a presidential election year.”
Additionally, the survey found that Americans say Republicans (46%) have an advantage over Democrats (41%) when it comes to addressing the nation’s most pressing issues, including the economy, inflation, and immigration. .
Similarly, the latest YouGov poll found that Republicans are seen as doing better than Democrats in dealing with immigration (44% vs. 32%) and the economy (43% vs. 31%). Republicans also had a significant advantage on inflation (42% vs. 28%).
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As if that wasn’t enough, a recent CNN poll shows support for Republican presidential candidates has increased significantly among working-class voters. For example, Trump has a whopping 31-point lead over Harris when it comes to graduates of trade and technical schools.
Trump is also gaining support among union households, and is 17 points more popular among voters of color without a college degree than he was in 2020. Biden led that group by 45 points in 2020, and Harris now leads by 28 points.
“Trump has more working-class support than any Republican presidential candidate in this generation,” Harry Enten, CNN’s chief data reporter, said on X.
Those numbers will no doubt pose a challenge for Ms. Harris in swing states with large working populations, such as Michigan and Pennsylvania, which helped Mr. Trump win in 2016.
The guy at the top of the ticket can still blow it for Republicans
This is all great news for Republicans and for all Americans with a new administration and Congress ready to address these biggest concerns.
But I worry that having Mr. Trump at the top will jeopardize any hopes for a true red wave. Recall his involvement in the 2022 midterm elections and his support of candidates, many of whom failed miserably.
Make no mistake: President Trump still has a huge following among MAGA believers. That doesn’t change. But the former president carries too much weight for many moderate Republicans and independent voters. His constant outrageous comments, his legal troubles, and the 2020 election claptrap are too much for many voters to bear.
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But Democrats have exaggerated Trump’s danger to our democracy, and some voters actually see him as more of a threat to our country.
For example, a CBS News/YouGov poll of Georgia registered voters conducted last month found that 63% were “very concerned” about whether the country’s democracy would function in the next few years. did.
But even in battleground states where Trump’s worst attempted interference in the 2020 election took place, voters say they think Trump’s policies will strengthen democracy more than Harris’ approach (42%). (45%) said.
Americans are fed up with the direction of the country and are more willing to support the Republican Party than they have been in years.
Will Trump ruin it?
Ingrid Jack is a columnist for USA TODAY. Contact us at ijacques@usatoday.com or X (formerly Twitter: @).Ingrid Jacks.