Trump's RNC polling bounce more about 'subtraction on the Biden side,' pollster suggests


President Trump's post-Republican National Convention polling bounce was particularly evident among white and suburban voters, a new Morning Consult poll shows.
Overall, the RNC helped Trump shrink Biden's previously 10-point lead to a six-point advantage, 50 percent to 44 percent. Among suburbanites, Biden led by 14 points after the Democratic National Convention (54 percent to 40 percent), but after the RNC finished, that had dwindled to a 50-42 margin. Trump also increased his lead from two points to eight points among white voters, though his already-dismal prospects among voters of color got slightly worse.
While the results are good news for the Trump campaign, they aren't necessarily that drastic in a larger context. That's because the two conventions are seemingly tied to one another — Biden received a boost in favorability ratings after the DNC, but the numbers went back down to their pre-convention standing after the RNC, which means it was mostly a wash, Morning Consult's Cameron Easley notes. Easley argues the polling suggests something similar when it comes to white and suburban voters in that it was more about Biden losing that extra jolt than Trump surging.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Morning Consult poll was conducted Friday when 4,035 likely voters were surveyed. The margin of error was 2 percent. Read more at Morning Consult.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
Mermaiding: the underwater subculture on the rise
Under the Radar Cosplay meets fitness in an escapist fin-omenon that's making waves around the world
-
Delhi's dogs earn Supreme Court reprieve
IN THE SPOTLIGHT After an outcry from the public and animal rights activists, India's Supreme Court walks back a controversial plan to round the city's stray dog population into shelters
-
8 hotels with ace tennis courts
The Week Recommends Bring your A game
-
Abrego released from jail, faces Uganda deportation
Speed Read The wrongly deported Kilmar Abrego García is expected to be detained at an ICE check-in and deported to Uganda
-
Trump arms National Guard in DC, threatens other cities
speed read His next targets are Chicago, New York and Baltimore
-
Judge: Trump's US attorney in NJ serving unlawfully
Speed Read The appointment of Trump's former personal defense lawyer, Alina Habba, as acting US attorney in New Jersey was ruled 'unlawful'
-
Third judge rejects DOJ's Epstein records request
Speed Read Judge Richard Berman was the third and final federal judge to reject DOJ petitions to unseal Epstein-related grand jury material
-
Texas OKs gerrymander sought by Trump
Speed Read The House approved a new congressional map aimed at flipping Democratic-held seats to Republican control
-
Israel starts Gaza assault, approves West Bank plan
Speed Read Israel forces pushed into the outskirts of Gaza City and Netanyahu's government gave approval for a settlement to cut the occupied Palestinian territory in two
-
Court says labor board's structure unconstitutional
Speed Read The ruling has broad implications for labor rights enforcement in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi
-
Feds seek harsh charges in DC arrests, except for rifles
Speed Read The DOJ said 465 arrests had been made in D.C. since Trump federalized law enforcement there two weeks ago