2020 election polls: Biden smashes ad spend record as GOP pollster says ‘impossible’ for Trump to be re-elected after debate
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Joe Biden came away from the second and last presidential debate with a dominant lead in snap polling, which showed him with a double-digit advantage over Donald Trump.
Despite the Republican president’s more reserved approach to Thursday night’s clash in Nashville - which was far less chaotic and acrimonious than their previous encounter in Cleveland on 29 September - Mr Trump still came under attack on issues such as the coronavirus, race and climate change.
Veteran GOP pollster Frank Luntz said that Trump may have won the battle of the last debate, but Biden has won the war. He says it's "impossible" for the president turning around voter sentiment this late in the election cycle.
Trump is also up against a campaign that has broken all records for its spend on television and digital advertising in a presidential election, with still more than a week to go before polls close
Despite promising to dig into his own war chest to make up the campaign funding shortfall, Trump is yet to donate his own cash to the last stage of the campaign.
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The battle to win the votes of Florida retirees
Donald Trump is planning to visit The Villages retirement community on Friday. He may not only be greeted by fans. Andrew Buncombe reports.
The fight to win retired Florida voters is tearing apart The Villages
Donald Trump is planning to visit the retirement community on Friday. He may not only be greeted by fans
Solid red Oklahoma shows weakened support for Trump
In 2016, Trump won approximately 65 per cent of the vote in Oklahoma over Hillary Clinton’s 29 per cent, and Libertarian Gary Johnson’s 6 per cent.
The latest statewide poll from SurveyMonkey might show a softening of the Republican vote in a state that Trump is guaranteed to win.
Trump may lead Biden by 15 points, but that is less than half of his 2016 lead, with the Democrats having apparently made some gains.
US intelligence fears Russian interference if election result is delayed
Russian hackers could deface websites, release non-public information or take other steps to seed chaos and doubts, if election result is delayed in an attempt to help Donald Trump, according to an intelligence report seen by The New York Times.
Russian hackers plan to intervene and help Trump if election result delayed, report says
Groups could deface websites, release non-public information or take other steps to seed chaos and doubts
Majority of Americans want sitting president to take a Covid vaccine before it’s distributed
A majority of Americans want Donald Trump to take a possible coronavirus vaccine before anyone else – or whomever is president by the time federal agencies might authorise one for use.
The president initially said he hoped the private-sector drug companies working on a Covid-blocking medication before Election Day. But with voters heading to the polls in under two weeks, he has revised that projection until by the end of the year or early next year.
Federal health officials say it could take all of 2021 to get a vaccine fully tested, proven and through the approval process. From there, it would have to be mass-produced and deployed – first to vulnerable groups like seniors before becoming available to all Americans.
Whenever – or if – that happens, over half of those surveyed by JL Partners and The Independent (54 per cent) said they want the sitting president to take it before anyone else.
Washington bureau chief John T Bennett reports.
Majority of Americans want Trump – or President Biden – to take a Covid vaccine before it’s deployed
President has said he would do so, but acknowledged his critics would find fault if he does
Where we stand as the candidates take to the debate stage
As Donald Trump and Joe Biden face off in Nashville in the second and final presidential debate, let’s just remind ourselves where polling stands.
The RealClear Politics polling average for polls conducted between 8 October and 21 October has Biden leading Trump by 7.9 per cent — 50.7 per cent to 42.8 per cent.
In the battleground states of Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Florida, and Arizona, Biden leads by an average of 4.1 per cent.
The former vice president has comfortable leads in Pennsylvania (4.9 per cent), Michigan (7.8), and Wisconsin (4.6).
International Crisis Group warns of post-election violence
The International Crisis Group has released a stark warning of potential post-election violence ahead of Election Day, citing President Donald Trump's "toxic rhetoric" as what's causing concern among officials.
"The primary factor that makes risk calculations different this year is President Trump himself," read the statement by the International Crisis Group. "There is no precedent in modern US history for the president's toxic rhetoric – which routinely calls for the jailing of political opponents, gives what has appeared to be winking support to white supremacists and is laced with martial references that arguably seem to call his supporters to arms."
Danielle Zoellner reports.
Trump’s ‘toxic rhetoric’ could lead to violence after the election, crisis group warns
'There is no precedent in modern US history,' the International Crisis Group says
CNN snap poll - Who won the debate?
A CNN snap poll following Joe Biden And Donald Trump’s showdown in Nashville has good news for the former vice president, with 53 percent of respondents saying that he won.
More from the CNN poll
In terms of favorability numbers, there was little change for either candidate, signalling that the deabte will do little to change the race.
Biden pre-debate, 55%, post debate 56%
Trump pre-debate 42%, post debate 41%
CNN poll: Were the candidates’ attacks fair?
73 per cent believe that Biden's attacks on Trump were fair and 26 per cent said they were not fair.
50 per cent believe that Trump's attacks on Biden were fair and 49 per cent said they were not fair.
Two additional snap polls show Biden winning
It could be argued that these reflect current voter polling at the national level and therefore highlight that the debate did little to sway voters.
Data Progress: Biden 52, Trump 41
US Politics: Biden 52, Trump 39
But CNN’s North Carolina undecided voter panel (not a scientific study) had nine respondents picking Biden, none picking Trump, and two saying the debate was a draw.
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