CNN’s senior political analyst believes President Donald Trump is “within striking distance” of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
In a commentary posted Thursday, analyst Harry Enten said Biden has had the “upper hand” in national and battleground state polls from May to July.
“Yet, while Biden has maintained advantage, Trump has one thing going for him: His position is no longer deteriorating,” he wrote.
“A look at the polls shows that even as coronavirus cases and deaths rise, Trump remains within striking distancing of Biden.”
“An Iowa poll out Wednesday from Monmouth University makes the point well,” he continued, noting Trump comes in with 48% to Biden's 45%, within the polls margin of error.
“Trump won Iowa by more than 9 points in 2016. That equates to a 6-point swing toward Biden from the 2016 result, which is good for the Democrat.”
But he conceded it’s not better “and perhaps a touch worse” than would have been the case earlier this summer.
Enten noted Trump's approval rating among voters has never dropped below 40% — and is currently about 41-42%.
“Trump's position has stabilized and perhaps improved a few points,” he wrote. “Overall, pretty much every method agrees that Trump has, if nothing else, stopped the bleeding.”
According to Enten, current polling suggests Biden’s current lead “isn't wide enough to suggest Biden has this locked away given how much polls have moved from this point to the election historically.”
“In a year in which we are facing unprecedented circumstances, Trump is staying in the hunt,” he wrote.