2020 election polls: Biden smashes ad spend record as GOP pollster says ‘impossible’ for Trump to be re-elected after debate
Follow the latest updates
The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
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.
Please allow a moment for our liveblog to load.
If Trump wins ‘my profession is done’, says GOP pollster Frank Luntz
Go-to pundit Frank Luntz, known for his balanced analysis of the polls and voter sentiment, has been making waves with his definitive take on Trump’s chances this year, saying his ‘political malpractice’ was the worst campaign he’s ever seen and he has zero chance of beating Biden.
Speaking to Fox News anchor Bret Baier before the debate, Luntz was asked what would happen if he got it wrong.
"Well, I hate to acknowledge it, because that's my industry — at least partially — but the public will have no faith. No confidence. Right now, the biggest issue is the trust deficit,” he said.
“And pollsters did not do a good job in 2016. So if Donald Trump surprises people, if Joe Biden had a 5- or 6-point lead, my profession is done."
Ostensibly known for his work with the GOP, Luntz has nonetheless been facing the wrath of those unhappy with his definitive takes on the outcome.
Trump refuses to donate to his own re-election, leaving his campaign with one third of Biden's war chest
Donald Trump went into the final sprint of the election with a funding war chest one-third the size of Joe Biden, but he has yet to open his chequebook to close the gap.
It comes as Trump's campaign manager Bill Stepien said they had their best-ever online fundraising haul of $26m in the hours around the debate, as part of its best month ever, that they would spend heavily on Minnesota. Mr Trump lost the state by just 44,000 votes in2016.
The Biden campaign went into the home stretch with more than $177m in the bank compared to Mr Trump's $63.1m, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.
Despite saying in early September that he would spend "whatever it takes" if more money was needed, Mr Trump hasn't spent a dime to his re-election campaign and aides are reluctant to ask directly, according to The New York Times' reporting this week.
Trump won't donate to own campaign despite running out of cash
The president had said he would give 'whatever it takes' of his own money
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies