Trump leads Harris in nearly every poll as VP appears poised to top Dems' ticket

Former President Donald Trump enjoys a considerable polling lead over Vice President Kamala Harris, who appears poised to take over as the Democratic standard bearer in November.

President Joe Biden, over the weekend, announced his decision to not seek reelection and ultimately endorsed Harris to take his place. Party heavyweights have since lined up behind her candidacy, though she is not yet the official nominee.

But polling data suggests she, too, will struggle against Trump, who currently leads her in a one-on-one matchup by 1.7% in the RealClearPolitics polling average. In a five-way race, moreover, Trump leads by 5.0%. That scenario includes independent candidates Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Cornel West, as well as the Green Party's Jill Stein.

The Trump campaign itself highlighted a litany of polls showing him ahead of Harris, including survey a survey from JL Partners showing him up 11 points, one from Socal Research showing him up eight, a YouGov survey with him up five, and an Emerson College survey with him up six.

An NPR/PBS/Marist survey from earlier this month showed Harris with a 50% to 49% lead over Trump.