TV debate Harris against Trump could influence voting decision

Seven out of ten Americans want to see the Harris vs. Trump duel. Can the debate pave the way to the presidency for one of the candidates?

Philadelphia – Many a TV debate in US history has had an influence on the US elections. The most recent example: For the incumbent US President Joe Biden, his miserable performance in the TV debate meant the end of his candidacy. Now the world is looking forward to the duel between the Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her Republican opponent Donald Trump. According to a recent survey by the US media NPR Seven out of ten US citizens plan to follow the debate.

Instinct vs. preparation: Different strategies of Trump and Harris in the duel for the US election

According to NPR-survey, 23 percent said they would at least “watch the news about it closely.” Only six percent of those surveyed intend neither to watch the debate nor to pay attention to the reporting on it. In short, almost all eligible US citizens will find out what happens at the debate. The pressure on Harris and Trump is high.

When asked to what extent the TV debate could influence their voting decision, 14 percent of respondents answered NPR with “very strongly”, 16 percent with “quite a lot”, 27 percent with “not particularly” and 42 percent with “not at all”. One percent of respondents were undecided on this point. This means that the debate has a major influence on who they will vote for in the 2024 US election for around 30 percent of the voters surveyed. According to NPR-Survey, eight out of ten said they definitely wanted to vote this year.

Not only the candidates themselves, but also their strategies for the duel differ greatly. According to reports, Trump, who is experienced in TV debates, plans to rely mainly on his political instinct. Harris, on the other hand, is preparing intensively for the debate. The Democrat has a lot at stake: she has to convince people with her content and sharpen her profile. Because in a recent survey of the New York Times (NYT) 28 percent of participants said they did not yet know enough about Harris and her political views. Only nine percent said the same about Trump.

US election 2024: Harris and Trump neck and neck in current polls

From a voter’s perspective, the economy, immigration, health care, women’s rights and foreign policy issues are considered the most important issues in the 2024 US election. According to the NPRIn the survey, respondents rated the candidates’ skills in these areas very differently: When asked who could deal better with certain issues as president, 56 percent named Kamala Harris and only 42 percent named Trump when it came to abortion rights. In the areas of immigration (53 percent), the Middle East (51 percent) and the economy (52 percent), however, respondents saw Trump ahead. Harris only achieved 46 percent, 47 percent and 48 percent here.

Currently, the two competitors in the US election campaign are almost neck and neck: 49 percent would NPR Harris, 48 ​​percent lean toward Trump. NYT came to a slightly different result: For the first time since she began her candidacy, the Democrat was again behind Trump with 47 percent, who NYT-survey came in at 48 percent. However, the difference in both surveys is within the margin of error, so a lead is not very meaningful. A lot can still change before the election in November – also due to the TV debate.

The NPR poll was conducted September 3-5. Marist polled 1,529 U.S. adults via cellphone, landline, and online panels in English and Spanish. The poll’s margin of error is +/- 3.2 percentage points, so actual results may be higher or lower by this margin.