MAY HARVARD CAPS / HARRIS POLL: TRUMP LEADS BIDEN BY 5 POINTS AS 44% OF INDEPENDENTS ARE STILL WEIGHING THE CHOICES

BIDEN'S JOB APPROVAL ON ISRAEL DROPS TO A LOW OF 36%

52% OF HISPANIC VOTERS SAY THEIR PERSONAL FINANCIAL SITUATION IS WORSENING

NEW YORK and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) today released the results of the May Harvard CAPS / Harris poll, a monthly collaboration between the Center for American Political Studies at Harvard (CAPS) and the Harris Poll and HarrisX.

President Joe Biden's overall approval rating is steady at 44%, while inflation returned to being voters' most important issue with immigration a close second. The poll also covers public opinion on the Israel-Hamas war and the upcoming presidential debates. Download key results here.

"Americans always want to hear from the candidates directly and make up their own minds," said Mark Penn, Co-Director of the Harvard CAPS / Harris poll and Stagwell Chairman and CEO. "The race is still open, which reinforces why the candidates should be going after the undecided independents, rather than their own bases."

MOST VOTERS WANT PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES

• 69% of voters say they have made up their minds on who they will vote for; 44% of Independents, 30% of Democrats and 22% of Republicans are still weighing the choices.
• 79% of voters want Biden and Trump to debate each other.
• 71% think the debates should include third-party or independent candidates that clear a viable threshold, such as RFK, Jr.
• 54% think debate microphones should automatically cut off when a speaker's time elapses (Democrats and Independents: 60% each; Republicans: 44%).

WITH INFLATION AS TOP ISSUE, ECONOMIC OUTLOOK DIVERGES BY RACE

• Inflation is far and away the most important issue to voters personally, 25 points higher than immigration, the second choice.
• 52% of Hispanic voters and 42% of Asian voters say their personal financial situation is getting worse, while 49% of Black voters (a plurality) say their personal financial situation is improving.
• Biden's approval is 53% among Hispanic voters, 66% among Black voters and 37% among Asian voters.

BIDEN'S ISRAEL POLICY IS UNPOPULAR

• Biden's job approval on the Israel-Hamas war dropped to 36%, his lowest.
• 57% believe Biden should continue to provide Israel with weapons even if it enters Rafah (Democrats: 48%; Republicans: 64%; Independents: 58%).
• 53% think Biden's Israel policy is being directed by perceived domestic politics, not just what's best for U.S. national interest in a safe and secure Israel (Democrats: 38%; Republicans: 65%; Independents: 56%).

MOST AMERICANS SUPPORT APPROPRIATE PUNISHMENTS FOR CAMPUS PROTESTERS

• 79% of voters believe student protesters should be removed from college campuses through detainment or arrest if they become violent or damage university property (ages 18-24: 64%; ages 65+: 92%).
• 78% believe public university officials who choose to discipline these student protesters are taking necessary action to stop public safety threats, not violating their right to free speech and public assembly (ages 18-24: 66%; ages 65+: 90%).

NO FRONTRUNNERS FOR TRUMP VP

• Voters' top picks for Trump's VP among politicians who have endorsed him are Ron DeSantis (12%), Tim Scott (9%) and Vivek Ramaswamy (8%).
• Ramaswamy, Scott, and Marco Rubio were the top choices who Republican voters said would make them more likely to vote for Trump.

The May Harvard CAPS / Harris poll survey was conducted online within the United States on May 15-16, 2024, among 1,660 registered voters by The Harris Poll and HarrisX. Follow the Harvard CAPS Harris Poll podcast at https://www.markpennpolls.com/ or on iHeart Radio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast platforms. 

About The Harris Poll & HarrisX

The Harris Poll is a global consulting and market research firm that strives to reveal the authentic values of modern society to inspire leaders to create a better tomorrow. It works with clients in three primary areas: building twenty-first-century corporate reputation, crafting brand strategy and performance tracking, and earning organic media through public relations research. One of the longest-running surveys in the U.S., The Harris Poll has tracked public opinion, motivations, and social sentiment since 1963, and is now part of Stagwell, the challenger holding company built to transform marketing.

HarrisX is a technology-driven market research and data analytics company that conducts multi-method research in the U.S. and over 40 countries around the world on behalf of Fortune 100 companies, public policy institutions, global leaders, NGOs and philanthropic organizations. HarrisX was the most accurate pollster of the 2020 U.S. presidential election.

About the Harvard Center for American Political Studies
The Center for American Political Studies (CAPS) is committed to and fosters the interdisciplinary study of U.S. politics.  Governed by a group of political scientists, sociologists, historians, and economists within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University, CAPS drives discussion, research, public outreach, and pedagogy about all aspects of U.S. politics. CAPS encourages cutting-edge research using a variety of methodologies, including historical analysis, social surveys, and formal mathematical modeling, and it often cooperates with other Harvard centers to support research training and encourage cross-national research about the United States in comparative and global contexts. More information at https://caps.gov.harvard.edu/.

CONTACT: 
Sarah Arvizo
[email protected] 

SOURCE Stagwell Inc.