Most voters think economy poor, but split on whether Trump or Harris can fix it: Poll
Washington (AP/PTI): Voters remain largely divided over whether they prefer Republican Donald Trump or Democrat Kamala Harris to handle key economic issues, although Harris earns slightly better marks on elements such as taxes for the middle class, according to a new poll.
A majority of registered voters in the survey by The Associated Press-NORC Centre for Public Affairs Research describe the economy as poor. About 7 in 10 say the nation is going in the wrong direction.
But the findings reaffirm that Trump has lost what had been an advantage on the economy, which many voters say is the most important issue this election season above abortion, immigration, crime and foreign affairs.
“Do I trust Trump on the economy? No. I trust that he'll give tax cuts to his buddies like Elon Musk,” said poll respondent Janice Tosto, a 59-year-old Philadelphia woman and self-described independent.
An AP-NORC poll conducted in September found neither Harris nor Trump had a clear advantage on handling “the economy and jobs”. But this poll asked more specific questions about whether voters trusted Trump or Harris to do a better job handling the cost of housing, jobs and unemployment, taxes on the middle class, the cost of groceries and gas, and tariffs.
The poll found that 46 per cent of voters prefer Harris on middle-class taxes, compared to 35 per cent for Trump. Harris also has a slight advantage on the cost of housing. Voters are about evenly divided on whether Trump or Harris is better on prices for everyday essentials like groceries and gas, and neither candidate has an edge on jobs and unemployment.
Voters, meanwhile, are slightly more likely to prefer Trump on the issue of tariffs, which were defined in the poll as taxes on imported goods.
Poll respondent Amber Moody, 36, from Halifax, Virginia, said she trusts Trump — and Republicans in general — much more on economic matters.
“It seems to me that in my lifetime, every time a Democrat holds office, the economy suffers,” she said. “Prices go up, taxes go up and the national debt goes up. While I don't approve of everything Donald Trump says and does, I do believe he is the better choice.”
Voters see Harris more favourably than Trump
Voters' impressions of Harris and Trump have remained steady over the last month.
About half of voters have a very or somewhat favourable opinion of Harris, while 46 per cent see her unfavourably.
Meanwhile, about 4 in 10 voters have a positive view of Trump and about 6 in 10 have an unfavourable view. Trump's favourability ratings have been remarkably consistent over the last few months, even after two assassination attempts and a felony conviction.
Compared to last month, views of the candidates are stable among Black and Hispanic voters, as well as among men and women. Black voters' views of Harris are overwhelmingly positive — about three-quarters have a favourable view of the Democratic candidate — and their views of Trump are negative, with about 2 in 10 holding a favourable view.
Hispanic voters also view Harris more favourably than Trump, although the gap is narrower: About 6 in 10 Hispanic voters have a favourable view of Harris and about 4 in 10 have an favourable view of Trump.
The poll also shows a gender gap in views of the candidates heading into the final days of the election.
About half of women voters have a favourable impression of Harris, while only around one-third see Trump favourably. Among men, about half have a favourable view of Harris and a similar share have a positive opinion of Trump.
Voters are pessimistic about the economy and the country
Overall, voters remain pessimistic about the state of the economy and the general direction of the country.
About half of voters describe the nation's economy as very or somewhat poor. Republicans and independents are more likely than Democrats to express that view. There are modest signs of improvement, however, compared to an AP-NORC poll from October 2023, when about 7 in 10 US adults thought the US economy was in bad shape. The number was even worse in October 2022, when close to 8 in 10 Americans described the economy as poor.
About two-thirds of voters also say the country is headed in the wrong direction, while roughly one-third say things are moving in the right direction. Pessimism on that question has been fairly consistent over the last three years, although closer to 8 in 10 Americans thought the US was heading in the wrong direction a year ago.
US adults were similarly gloomy just before the last presidential election, according to an AP-NORC poll from October 2020 when roughly 7 in 10 Americans felt the country was headed in the wrong direction.
Jeffrey Trimble, a 62-year-old Democrat from Hermitage, Pennsylvania, said he's increasingly optimistic about the direction of the nation after “four years of hell” during Trump's first term.
“We have some really good people at the top of our government who have a vision, they're kind, they're trying to get us back on track,” Trimble said.
Overall, the new poll highlights signs of trouble for both candidates as they work to assemble winning coalitions.
Younger voters are considerably more pessimistic about the health of the economy than older voters, and that's not good news for Harris, whose party has long relied on strong support from voters of colour and young people.
Voters under the age of 45 are also slightly less likely than voters over 45 to trust Harris to handle the cost of housing or the cost of groceries and gas, although that doesn't mean they prefer Trump. Sizable shares of younger voters — about one-quarter on both issues — trust neither candidate or both equally.
Trump's strongest issue remains immigration
On other issues, meanwhile, Trump's most consistent advantage continues to be immigration.
Forty-five percent of voters say he's the better candidate to handle immigration issues, compared to about 4 in 10 who prefer Harris. About half of white voters trust Trump more on the issue of immigration, while about one-third say this about Harris. Hispanic voters are split on which candidate they prefer to handle immigration.
Harris' strongest issues are abortion policy, with about half of voters saying she'd be better on that issue compared to about 3 in 10 for Trump; climate change, where about half prefer her leadership and about 2 in 10 prefer Trump's; and election integrity, where about half prefer Harris and about 3 in 10 prefer Trump.
The candidates are about even on the issue of crime. Foreign policy is also a key issue this fall, although neither candidate has a clear advantage on the situation in the Middle East. There are some signs of weakness on the issue for Harris within her own party, however. Only about two-thirds of Democratic voters say Harris would be the better candidate to handle the situation in the Middle East. Among Republicans, about 8 in 10 say Trump would be better.
Diana Campbell Williams, a 72-year-old Democrat who lives in Auburn, Michigan, cites foreign affairs as her top issue.
She says she's concerned about Russia, Iran and North Korea. She doesn't like Trump's questioning of NATO and his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I trust Harris more,” Williams said. “I feel she knows more about what's going on, and I prefer the type of people she'd be surrounded by after the election.”
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Kerala Story 2 propaganda film aimed at polarisation: John Brittas
New Delhi (PTI): The Kerala Story 2 is a "propaganda" movie aimed at creating polarisation ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in the state, CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas said, questioning if local BJP leaders would dare to demand a "beef ban".
The film, which has sparked a controversy with its promo showing a woman being forced to eat beef, has been challenged in court.
Brittas, a Rajya Sabha MP from the Left party, alleged that the upcoming film was part of a political attempt to polarise voters and malign Kerala ahead of elections, however, stating that he did not favour its ban.
"It's a propaganda movie. It should be put in the septic tank rather than viewed in the theatre," Brittas said.
"It is very obvious that the BJP wants to use such malicious propaganda to tarnish Kerala, to have a foothold in Kerala, to create communal polarisation here, and send a wrong picture about the state, which is the most peaceful and known for its communal amity and harmony," he told PTI.
The movie has also triggered widespread reactions on social media, with several posts talking about communal harmony in the state. Brittas said the makers of the movie did not have an understanding of the society in Kerala.
"The counter-narrative that's been drawn on social media is mind-boggling. If the producer or the director had an iota of shame, they would have abandoned this project... I feel that this is a diabolical game that's being played out by the BJP, just for electoral polarisation," he said.
Brittas also challenged the BJP leaders in Kerala to speak about a "beef ban".
"I am challenging, can a BJP leader profoundly make a statement in Kerala that beef should be banned? Can anybody say that beef should be banned in Kerala, even a BJP leader?" he said.
"Is it not a fact that most of these BJP leaders consume beef? This is part of your choice, whether you want to have beef, pork, mutton or chicken," he said.
Referring to judicial scrutiny in another film, Ghooskhor Pandat, Brittas cited observations made by the Supreme Court on titles and social sensitivity, and asked how authorities should respond when, in his view, "an entire state is maligned".
"When they put a title in an innocuous way, this was the response of the Supreme Court. Then how should the Supreme Court react after seeing Kerala Story 1 and 2?" Brittas asked.
He, however, said that they don't want a ban on the movie.
"Even when the earlier Kerala Story came, we did not ban it. It was screened and left (the theatres). Nobody went to see the movie," he said, adding, "Let people realise what this diabolical game being played by the BJP is."
The CPI(M) leader also cast doubt on claims about the commercial success of the earlier movie, suggesting that organised support and bulk ticket purchases could have contributed to its box office performance. He also took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, recalling that the BJP had publicly praised the first film during its release.
"Can a movie for which the prime minister is the brand ambassador be seen as a flop? The BJP cadre have to buy the ticket, even if they don't watch it," Brittas said.
"The richest party would have given the money they got from electoral bonds, a portion of it," he said, targeting the BJP.
He also questioned the speed with which the movie reportedly secured certification, alleging inconsistencies in the way the Central Board of Film Certification treats films.
Brittas said in Kerala's plural social fabric, where multiple religions and cultures coexist, attempts made at communal division are unlikely to succeed.
He maintained that the state's voters were politically aware and would not be influenced by what he described as propaganda.
"They can try hard to malign Kerala, but the state will give a fitting reply," he said.
The Kerala Story, directed by Sudipto Sen and released in 2023, had claimed to depict the alleged radicalisation and trafficking of women from Kerala into extremist networks, a narrative strongly disputed by the Left Democratic Front government and opposition parties in the state, as well as several civil society groups.
The sequel, The Kerala Story 2, has again triggered debate even before the release, with promotional material and political reactions reviving arguments over representation, artistic freedom and the use of cinema in electoral narratives.
