Most in CNN flash poll say Harris outperformed Trump in debate

Most voters in a new poll said Vice President Harris outperformed former President Trump during the presidential nominees’ first, and maybe only, debate Tuesday night in Philadelphia.

CNN’s flash poll, conducted by SSRS, found that 63 percent of registered voters said the vice president performed better on the debate stage. About 37 percent said the same about Trump. 

Roughly 96 percent of Harris supporters said their candidate came out on top postdebate, a larger contingent than the 69 percent of Trump backers who said the GOP nominee was the winner, according to the survey.

The forum marked the first time the two candidates met in person. Harris delivered a sharp performance on stage, debating Trump on foreign policy, abortion, the economy, immigration and other issues. Harris’s strategy to get under Trump’s skin appeared to have worked, with the former president seeming to be visibly irritated.

Approximately 45 percent in the poll said they had a favorable view of Harris, slightly more than 44 percent who viewed her unfavorably, the poll found. It was a 6 point bump from before the debate, when only 39 percent said they had a favorable view of her.

The event did not appear to move the needle when it comes to the former president. Trump’s numbers remained almost identical after the debate, with 39 percent of respondents saying they viewed him favorably and 51 percent saying the opposite.

The vice president received an 18 point bump among those who identified as political independents. Her favorability among them shot up to 48 percent after the debate, far higher than 30 percent before the Tuesday showing.

Roughly equal number of debate viewers — 54 percent — said they had at least some confidence in both party nominees to lead the country. Around 36 percent had a lot of confidence in Trump, and 32 percent said the same about Harris. 

The former president had a 20-point lead, 55 percent to 35 percent, on handling the economy among voters who watched the debate. He also garnered a 23 point lead on the issue of immigration, the survey found. Trump highlighted those disparities in a post on Truth Social early Wednesday morning.

On abortion, Harris drew a 21-point advantage following the debate, the poll showed, and a 9-point gap on protecting democracy.

The majority of registered voters, 82 percent, said the debate did not influence their choice at the ballot box in November. Around 14 percent said the performance made them think twice, but they did not switch who they would support. Only 4 percent said their vote in the presidential election changed after the debate, the survey found.

The CNN flash poll was conducted among 605 registered U.S. voters Tuesday. The margin of error was 5.3 percentage points.