Trump edges ahead of Clinton by one point in new poll

ABC News/Washington Post survey finds 7-point decline in likely voters who are strongly enthusiastic about Democratic candidate

By AFP 1 November 2016, 7:08 pm

Edit

Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, right, and Republican nominee Donald Trump walk off the stage after the final presidential debate at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 19, 2016. (Robyn Beck/AFP)

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has edged ahead of Democratic rival Hillary Clinton by a point for the first time since May, an ABC News/Washington Post tracking poll out Tuesday has found.

The poll also registered a seven-point decline for Clinton in the share of likely voters who are strongly enthusiastic about her, a possible reflection of the renewed controversy over her use of a private server while secretary of state, pollster Gary Langer said.

Trump’s 46-45 percent lead in the four-way race for the White House, while well within the margin of error, is the first time he has polled ahead of Clinton in the survey since May.

The new poll was taken from October 27-30, a period that includes FBI director James Comey’s October 28 announcement that his agents had found a new trove of email that may be pertinent to an earlier probe into Clinton’s handling of classified information.

Democratic presidential nominee and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton waves as she boards her campaign plane headed for Florida at Westchester County Airport in White Plains, New York on November 1, 2016. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/AFP)

The results flip 46-45 in the Democrat’s favor when combining the last seven days, Langer said.

“Either way the results are exceedingly close,” he said.

With one week to go until Election Day, Clinton and Trump were barnstorming battleground states Tuesday, as the Democratic nominee tried to pivot away from attacks on her protection of US secrets.

Eager to divert the conversation from a renewed FBI inquiry into her use of a private email server while secretary of state, Clinton on Monday warned against her White House rival being allowed control of US nuclear launch codes.

With no sign anything concrete will come of the FBI probe before polling day, Clinton believes she can face down the challenge and return to the issue of Trump’s fitness to lead.

Both candidates were keeping up a manic campaign schedule targeting key swing states.

US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump addresses supporters at Macomb Community College in Warren, Michigan, on October 31, 2016. (Jeff Kowalsky/AFP)

Trump was scheduled to speak in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin on Tuesday, while Clinton was hopscotching across must-win Florida.

Democratic surrogates including President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, husband and former president Bill Clinton, running mate Tim Kaine and primary opponent Bernie Sanders were fanning out across battleground states to stump for votes.