A new Harvard CAPS-Harris poll showed Joe Biden ahead of Donald Trump by 7 points nationally and leading the president on the topic of law and order — a focal point of his re-election campaign.
As reported by The Hill , 54 percent of respondents chose Biden as best equipped to establish law and order, compared to just 46 percent for the president. In addition, 58 percent of voters surveyed said Biden would be better equipped to take control of the violence cropping up in cities across America, and 57 percent said he would do a better job of handling the civil unrest.
Notably, 26 percent of respondents blamed Trump for the escalation of violence in U.S. cities. After the president, 20 percent blamed left-wing agitators, and another 20 percent blamed police brutality.
As for the economy, the majority of respondents approved of Trump’s economic work. In addition, 53 percent said they trust Trump more than Biden to repair the economy in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll director Mark Penn said the data reflects a tightening race, although he noted that Biden still has a significant lead. He also explained that Biden has become the “bring-us-together candidate,” while Trump is the figure viewed as best equipped to fix the country’s economic issues.
Penn also touched on the chaos across America and how voters perceive it compared to other issues.
“The civil unrest has become a significant issue in the country, though it ranks behind the virus and the economy, and so politicians might overplay it. Nine in 10 expect it to be an issue and support for the police has been rising to nearly 7 in 10 support, while favorability of Black Lives Matter is just about half.”
As violence and civil unrest grip America, Biden and Trump continue to paint themselves as the leader to move the country forward. As reported by The New York Times , the pair both recently unveiled new advertisements addressing the brutality in regions of the U.S., where they pointed to each other as catalysts for the chaos.
Despite Trump’s position in the White House, some Biden allies are allegedly concerned about his team’s focus on taking control of the disarray in the country and its impact on Biden.
“To the frustration of some in the Biden campaign, it has been fielding concerns and complaints from allies about how the issue of law and order will play in the final nine weeks,” The New York Times wrote.
Trump continues to blame the chaos on Democratic leadership and recently began his plan to defund Democrat-led cities like Seattle, New York, and Portland.
