A new poll showing a surge in favorability for Donald Trump among Hispanic and African American voters is "very crucial" – and could be a game-changer in some battleground states, pollster John Zogby tells Newsmax TV.
In an interview Thursday with "Newsmax Prime" host J.D. Hayworth, the director of the Kennan Center for Entrepreneurship and Ethics at Lemoyne College and author of "We Are Many, We Are One" viewed the findings of the Franklin Pierce University/Boston Herald poll a "cut into Hillary's base."
According to the survey, a demographic breakdown showed that by combining voters who were "very favorable" and "somewhat favorable" to Trump, the billionaire developer got a positive rating from 35 percent of Hispanics and 24 percent of African-Americans.
"Republicans are starting with 10 percent of African American support at most, and 28 to 30 percent of Latino support at most," Zogby said.
"Any advantage there can be picked up, either keeping them home on Election Day – or raising his numbers a little bit can really make a difference in some key battleground states."
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Zogby also criticized Clinton's most recent defense of how she handled emails as secretary of state as just another "excuse" – and said it shows she's "on the ropes."
"There always seems to be something that smells and there always seems to be an excuse for it," Zogby said of Clinton's email explanation during her Wednesday night appearance at an NBC "commander-in-chief" forum.
"The problem, I think – and the [polling] numbers are showing it – is the rest of us don't get that many excuses for things," Zogby added. "So I think she's on the ropes."
"Democrats have a tremendous advantage going into the election in terms of the Electoral College, demographics, a president who is not really unpopular right now and an economy that by all measures at least appears to be improving – and yet it's very close. Her numbers are the ones that are heading south and these sorts of dodges don't help her."
But he said he doubts either Trump or Clinton will get a bounce from their separate appearances at the security forum.
"Let's call it a draw… and more intensity for supporters of each side," he said.
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