US Vice President Kamala Harris currently leads Republican Donald Trump by 2 percentage points, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. Conducted on July 22 and 23, the survey followed President Joe Biden's July 21 announcement that he would withdraw from the presidential race and endorse Harris' candidacy. Harris, the former California senator who is almost certain to be the Democratic nominee, holds 44 percent support compared to Trump's 42 percent, a lead within the 3 percent statistical margin of error.

In a previous poll from July 15-16, Harris and Trump were tied at 44 percent, and an earlier July 1-2 poll showed Trump leading by 1 percentage point. National opinion polls provide some insight into American voter attitudes, but U.S. elections are typically decided by a few strategically important states that influence the Electoral College's outcome.

The poll also indicated that 56 percent of registered voters believe Harris, 59, is "mentally fit and up to the challenge," while only 49 percent said the same about 78-year-old Trump. For Biden, this opinion was shared by just 22 percent of voters. In a hypothetical matchup that included independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Harris garnered 42 percent support and Trump 38 percent, pushing Harris's lead beyond the statistical error margin. Kennedy, who has the support of 8 percent of voters, has not yet met the requirements to appear on the November 5 ballot in many states.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll surveyed 1,241 adults nationwide, including 1,018 registered voters, and was conducted online. Harris's first campaign appearance was in Wisconsin, where she addressed 3,000 people and framed the campaign as a showdown between a prosecutor and a convicted felon. "Trust me, I know people like Donald Trump," she said, discussing topics like abortion and firearms. Harris has secured enough delegates to guarantee the Democratic nomination for the White House at the Democratic Convention.

Trump responded by calling Harris a liar and criticizing her immigration policies. According to the latest poll, Harris holds 44 percent of the vote, while Trump has 42 percent. In her speech, Harris emphasized the campaign as a choice between two visions for the nation: one focused on the future and the other on the past. She urged her supporters to work hard to win the elections, expressing confidence in America's potential and promising to fight for it. "God bless the United States of America," she concluded.