The survey found that more voters trust Vice President Harris to manage the economy than former President Trump. In a poll released on Monday, The Financial Times and the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.
In an August poll asking respondents which candidate they would trust to manage the economy, regardless of who they support in November, Harris led Trump 42% to 41%.
The result marks the first time a Democratic candidate has held a narrow lead over a Republican since the monthly poll tracking voter sentiment on economic issues began last year.
Harris’ lead was boosted by an increase in her own approval ratings, not a change in Trump’s, whose approval ratings remain unchanged from recent months at 41 percent.
While Harris’ lead over President Trump remains within the margin of error, her lead in the poll over President Biden’s approval rating in July is statistically significant.
Harris’s approval rating in August was a seven-point improvement over Biden’s approval rating in July, when 35% of voters trusted her to handle economic policy. The survey produced similar results in June (37%), May (35%), April (35%) and March (34%).
Voters’ confidence in Harris on the economy has increased thanks to voters who previously answered this question by saying they “don’t trust either candidate.”
In the August poll, 10% said they had no confidence in either candidate, down from 18% in July and 17% in June. Those who said they were “don’t know” increased one percentage point to 5% in August, up from 4% in July and 3% in June.
The economy has long been considered crucial in election cycles, and Trump has long held an advantage over Biden on this issue.
The new poll was conducted Aug. 1-5 among 1,001 people and has a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.
