Presidential candidate sees huge surge in support among American voters that edges them into polling lead in shock twist

Kamala Harris’s popularity has surged this week since she became the presumptive Democratic nominee for 2024.

According to ABC News/Ipsos polls, the vice president’s approval rating stands at 43 percent, up eight points from last weekend.

The poll, released a week ago, found that 35 percent of respondents viewed Harris positively and 46 percent viewed her negatively.

Biden announced last Sunday, July 20, that he would end his re-election bid after weeks of pressure from within his party to step aside. He immediately threw his support behind his VP to take over.

Harris secured enough delegates last week to become the de facto nominee and is now campaigning with much of her boss’s old team and campaign infrastructure.

She has been hard at work campaigning for a week since Biden left office, visiting several states and taking on some ceremonial presidential duties as Biden recovers from his third bout of COVID-19.

The biggest jump in support comes from independent voters, who are key to a victory in November.

Now, 44 percent of independents have a favorable opinion of Harris, compared to just 28 percent who felt that way a week earlier. Her unfavorability fell to 40 percent from 47 percent.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s approval rating fell slightly from 40 percent to 36 percent in the week following his assassination attempt.

Among independents, the former president also saw a drop from 35 percent to 27 percent.

The new survey found that there is more enthusiasm for the vice presidential candidacy than for Trump: 48 percent versus 39 percent.

Harris will likely face Trump in November, as there are currently no other Democrats in the race to challenge the vice president for the post. The Democratic National Convention is just three weeks away.

According to the poll, 52 percent of respondents think Harris should be the nominee, and 86 percent of Democrats want her to lead their ticket.