As Democrats prepare to formally nominate Vice President Kamala Harris as their presidential candidate in Chicago this week, her approval rating among American adults is soaring.
A new Associated Press poll found that 48% of Americans have a very or somewhat favorable view of Harris, up from 39% earlier this year. Harris has benefited from favorable media coverage since President Biden announced he was dropping out of the 2024 presidential race.
The increase is a marked improvement from Biden’s approval rating when he dropped out of the race, when only 38% of Americans supported him.
Meanwhile, a poll released on Monday put former President Trump’s approval rating at 41%.
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Vice President Kamala Harris has seen her approval ratings soar in the weeks since she took over as the Democratic Party’s top Democrat. (Peter Zai/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The race for the White House remains tight between Trump and Harris, with most polls showing both candidates within the margin of error. Some polls have Harris leading by a few points, while others have Trump ahead.
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Since her nomination, Harris has faced harsh criticism for her lack of transparency with the media, and as of Monday, she had not held a press conference in 29 days.
She has been busy campaigning, speaking at various events and making informal comments to reporters at various points, but has not held a formal press conference or given a wide-ranging interview in the four weeks since.
With just a few months to go until Election Day, Trump and Harris are neck and neck in the polls. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, President Trump held his second press conference in a week in Bedminster on Thursday, his first since Aug. 6. He answered 81 questions. He made the remarks in press conferences and interviews, including a two-hour session with backer Elon Musk last week.
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During that same period, Harris has had brief “meetings” and informal meetings with traveling reporters, but has yet to meet formally with the press. She spoke to reporters for a few minutes on Sunday while campaigning in Pennsylvania, telling media that she still considers herself an “underdog” as the Democratic National Convention gets underway.
Harris has appeared to hide from media scrutiny in recent weeks while Trump has had multiple conversations with reporters. (Getty Images)
Left-wing The Washington Post editorial board files complaint “At least I answered the questions” about her opponent, Ms Harris said last week, referring to her avoiding media interviews.
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The Post called her to account for a number of policy moves she made, including on fracking, border security and private health insurance. Liberal columnist Perry Bacon Harris also I’ll be taking questions in a new post on Sunday.
Fox News’ Brian Flood contributed to this report.