The race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump is too close to call, as a majority of voters believe neither one would be a good president and their campaign has increased hatred and prejudice in the United States, a new
Quinnipiac University national poll released Wednesday reveals.
According to the poll of 1,610 registered voters nationwide, surveyed between June 21-27, Trump and Clinton's results fell within a margin of error of 2.4 percentage points:
- Clinton: 42 percent;
- Trump: 40 percent.
And when third-party candidates were added in:
- Clinton, 39 percent;
- Trump, 37 percent;
- Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson, 8 percent;
- Green Party candidate Jill Stein, 4 percent.
Meanwhile, voters said the election has increased the levels of hatred and prejudice:
- 61 percent agree;
- 34 percent say it has had no impact;
- 67 percent blame Trump;
- 16 percent blame Clinton.
"It would be difficult to imagine a less flattering from-the-gut reaction to Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton," said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll. "Voters find themselves in the middle of a mean-spirited, scorched earth campaign between two candidates they don't like. And they don't think either candidate would be a good president."
The poll also revealed voters remain divided among gender, race, age and party lines:
- Women: Clinton, 50-33 percent;
- Men: Trump, 47-34 percent;
- White voters: Trump 47 - 34 percent;
- Black voters: Clinton, 91 - 1 percent;
- Hispanic voters: Clinton, 50 - 33 percent;
- Voters 18 to 34: Clinton, 48 - 23 percent;
- Over 65 years old: Trump, 51 - 35 percent.
- Democrats: Clinton, 89 - 3 percent;
- Republicans: Trump, 84 - 6 percent;
- Independent voters, Trump, 36-34 percent.
Both candidates got negative favorability ratings:
- Trump, 34-57 percent;
- Clinton, 37-57 percent;
- Will not be a good president: Trump, 58-35 percent; Clinton, 53-43 percent;
- Better prepared: Clinton, 58-33 percent;
- More intelligent: Clinton, 53-33 percent;
- Higher moral standards: Clinton, 46 - 37 percent;
- More honest and trustworthy: Trump, 45 - 37 percent;
- Stronger leader: Trump, 49 - 43 percent.
Looking at who would best handle important issues, American voters say:
- 52-40 percent, Trump would be better creating jobs;
- 50-45 percent, Clinton would be better handling immigration;
- 52-39 percent, Trump would be more effective handling ISIS;
- 51-42 percent, Clinton would better respond to an international crisis;
- 46-44 percent trust Clinton more on sending U.S. troops overseas;
- 54-35 percent would trust Clinton more to make the right decisions regarding nuclear weapons;
- 46-43 percent say Clinton would do a better job getting things done in Washington.