US Election: ‘Fake’, says Trump as Iowa poll shows Harris leading in 2024 presidential race

US Election : Vice President Kamala Harris is leading 47 percent to 44 percent over former President Donald Trump among likely voters in Iowa, a new poll showed days ahead of the high-stakes election for the White House.

Trump, however, has rejected the poll and, instead, called it 'fake'.

"One of my enemies just puts out a poll – I am 3 down. (Iowa Senator) Joni Ernst called me, everyone's called me, they said you are killing in Iowa. The farmers love me and I love them," the Republican nominee said at a rally in key battleground state of Pennsylvania.

Trump said that the poll released Saturday was ‘fake’. "I'm not down in Iowa," he asserted as US Election 2024 enters last leg. 

Trump won Iowa in his past two presidential campaigns, by more than 9 percentage points in 2016 and 8 points in 2020.

The poll by Des Moines Register newspaper came even as both Trump and Harris criss-crossed key battleground states to make their closing remarks ahead of the November 5 election day. According to the poll, Harris is leading in the race in view of support from women and independent voters.

More than 75 million Americans have already cast their votes as of Sunday, according to the University of Florida's Election Lab that tracks early and mail-in voting across the US.

Harris and Trump are seen locked in a tight race for the White House, with early voting well underway and Election Day on Tuesday, November 5.

The poll of 808 likely Iowa voters, which include those who have already voted as well as those who say they definitely plan to vote, was conducted from October 28 to 31, Des Moines Register said.

It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points, it added.

Trump was leading in September

In September, a poll by the same media outlet had shown Trump leading by four points over Harris. In June, when President Joe Biden was in the race, Trump was ahead by 18-point over the Democratic leader.

A separate poll by NBC News found a neck and neck contest between Harris and Trump. It showed Harris getting support from 49 per cent of registered voters in a head-to-head matchup, while Trump gets an identical 49 per cent.

Just 2 per cent of voters said they are unsure about the choice, according to NBC News.

The two presidential candidates – Trump and Harris – continued to travel various battleground states to drum up support.

In the overall campaign, Harris has been projecting the election as the one to protect the country's fundamental freedoms, safeguard constitutional values and ensure women's rights.

On his part, Trump has been promising to rebuild the economy and rid the US of illegal migration.

(With PTI inputs)