VP Kamala Harris has a better chance of retaining White House than Joe Biden, says CNN poll

Washington: Vice President Kamala Harris, who is of Indian and African heritage, has a better chance of retaining the White House in the US presidential polls than her boss President Joe Biden, according to the latest CNN poll.

The approval rating of Biden, 81, has plummeted after his dismal debate performance in Atlanta last week against his predecessor and Republican rival Donald Trump.

Since the debate, there have been increasing voices in the ruling Democratic Party for Biden, the oldest sitting US President, to step down and let someone else run the race for the crucial November 5 presidential elections.

According to the CNN poll conducted by SRS, Trump, 78, is ahead of Biden by six points.

The poll also finds Harris, 59, within striking distance of Trump in a hypothetical matchup: 47 per cent of registered voters support Trump, 45 per cent back Harris, a result within the margin of error that suggests there is no clear leader under such a scenario.

“Harris’ slightly stronger showing against Trump rests at least in part on broader support from women (50% of female voters back Harris over Trump vs. 44% for Biden against Trump) and independents (43% Harris vs. 34% Biden),” the polls said.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre refrained from directly commenting on the polls.

“I'm constrained to speaking directly to your poll and I get it and I hear the question. I got to be mindful, that is something for the campaign as you started saying, what the campaign has laid out their argument of the case. That is something for them to take up and that is something for them to answer,” she told reporters when asked about it.

“What I can speak to is the president's record. What I can speak to, what he's been able to accomplish and the things that he's been able to do and get done is actually in line with majority of Americans. And I think that's important too, to note. And again, I will say with age comes wisdom and experience and that's certainly something that the president brings,” she said.

Former First Lady Michelle Obama, 60, leads Trump by a whopping 11 points in an Ipsos poll—50 per cent to 39 per cent — though her office told NBC News in March she would not be running for president this year.