Former President Donald Trump is currently leading Vice President Kamala Harris by two percentage points nationally, according to a Daily Mail/J.L. Partners survey.

The survey focuses on the newly emerging race between Trump and Harris, who was unexpectedly chosen as the Democratic presidential nominee. Democratic leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), have insisted that Harris’s nomination reflects grassroots support, despite the fact that many Democratic voters had backed President Joe Biden in the primaries.

On Friday, August 2, 2024, the Democratic Party officially nominated Harris, leaving the 14 million Democrats who voted for Biden in the primaries without their preferred candidate. This shift follows Biden’s widely criticized final debate performance against Trump, which many believe signaled the end of his campaign.

According to the latest Daily Mail survey, Trump is leading Harris with 43 percent of the vote, compared to Harris’s 41 percent. Although the margin is slim, it falls outside the survey’s ± 3.1 percent margin of error, indicating a potentially close election in November. The survey also highlights that voters generally perceive Trump as the stronger and more charismatic candidate.

James Johnson, co-founder of J.L. Partners, noted that while Harris has gained traction among young voters, Black voters, and independents, Trump’s base remains more energized. He has maintained strong support among white voters, Hispanic voters, and those over 50, largely due to his positions on the economy and border security.

As Trump continues to criticize Harris’s leadership, particularly pointing to her tenure in California, he predicts that her current momentum will fade. “The honeymoon period’s gonna end,” Trump told reporters, emphasizing that the upcoming election will be a referendum on policy rather than personality.

Harris has not yet held a press conference since Biden withdrew from the race, leaving questions about her campaign strategy and leadership style unanswered.