Donald J. Trump and Kamala Harris are starkly completely different presidential candidates. So why are so many citizens — roughly 1 in 6 — nonetheless not sure of their selection?
We requested voters who haven’t but made up their minds — 830 of them throughout 5 battleground states and Ohio — to call their greatest worries with each candidates.
Here’s what they stated.
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Concern about Trump
“He’s made individuals snug with being racist and set the nation again 50 years with racism.”
Concern about Harris
“She’s a liar and it seems like she hasn’t executed something she stated she was going to do.”
Black girl, 50s, Arizona
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Concern about Trump
“Don’t like his rhetoric, how he speaks to individuals.”
Concern about Harris
“Incompetent, no expertise in international coverage or working the federal government; additionally has no opinions besides on abortion.”
White girl, 70s, Wisconsin
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Concern about Trump
“Too excessive.”
Concern about Harris
“I don’t know a lot about her, however I’m not sure about how ready she is to be president.”
Hispanic man, 30s, Arizona
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Concern about Trump
“Having the proper to regulate my very own physique.”
Concern about Harris
“Immigration and inflation.”
Black girl, 20s, Georgia
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Concern about Trump
“Conceitedness.”
Concern about Harris
“She’s a girl and undecided if a girl must be working.”
White girl, 50s, Arizona
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Concern about Trump
“Has felonies on his document.”
Concern about Harris
“Don’t know a lot about her coverage.”
Black man, 50s, Georgia
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Concern about Trump
“I don’t belief him.”
Concern about Harris
“I don’t belief her.”
Black girl, 60s, Georgia
Till President Joe Biden dropped his bid for re-election, a big share of voters have been sad with their decisions for president.
In the present day, the voters as a complete is happier, however the uncommitted voters are nonetheless not, in line with latest polling by The New York Instances and Siena School in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio and Wisconsin.
They belief neither former President Donald J. Trump nor Vice President Kamala Harris. They query the candidates’ honesty and ethics.
These voters are youthful than the voters general, much less educated and have a decrease earnings. They’re much extra possible than voters general to be Black or Latino, and just a little extra more likely to be males.
A few of these voters could keep residence, however a significant portion of them will in all probability vote. And in an in depth election, they might be the deciding issue.
In attempting to know what’s holding them again from committing, we requested voters to inform us in their very own phrases about their worries. Their phrases have been telling: “being a bully,” “she’s an fool.”
In some ways, their phrases counsel that voters know, and maybe have grow to be inured to, Donald Trump’s slash-and-burn marketing campaign model and persona.
However with Kamala Harris, who was plunged into the race solely in July, their fears are wider ranging — encompassing each character and the problems, just like the economic system. And for some voters, the historic nature of her candidacy presents not progress however a disadvantage.
Voters are involved about one factor in relation to Trump: his character.
They stated he’s boastful or erratic and talks an excessive amount of. They talked about his age or felony trials. The phrases boiled right down to issues in regards to the former president’s persona and honesty.
Even voters who stated they have been leaning towards Trump talked about issues about chaos and dysfunction.
A small however notable share have been additionally involved, particularly, about his potential to hold out and full the duties of president, mentioning his age and psychological capability.
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Concern about Trump
“Angered simply.”
White man, 40s, Michigan
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Concern about Trump
“Being a bully in direction of different nations.”
White man, 60s, Georgia
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Concern about Trump
“He’s erratic, not very well-spoken and lies.”
White man, 40s, North Carolina
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Concern about Trump
“Him staying off the web.”
White man, 30s, Arizona
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Concern about Trump
“Being presidential, sense of decorum, means he communicates.”
Man, 60s, Michigan
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Concern about Trump
“Doesn’t know when to close up.”
White man, 20s, North Carolina
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Concern about Trump
“His age.”
White girl, 20s, Wisconsin
On the similar time, regardless that Trump has crossed all types of pink traces throughout his marketing campaign, voters used comparatively gentle language in describing their doubts about him. Phrases like “a bit” and “just a little” crept in continuously.
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Concern about Trump
“Little energy hungry.”
White girl, 30s, Arizona
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Concern about Trump
“His authoritative tendencies.”
White man, 30s, North Carolina
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Concern about Trump
“Most likely his rhetoric, possibly, and the way he presents himself. And the controversy was sort of tough.”
Lady, 40s, Michigan
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Concern about Trump
“Bit decisive at occasions. He doesn’t all the time say the proper issues.”
White man, 20s, Georgia
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Concern about Trump
“I want he might be just a little extra presidential.”
White girl, 70s, Arizona
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Concern about Trump
“He may grow to be too emotional when making selections.”
Nonwhite man, 30s, North Carolina
Considerations about Harris are extra different.
For Kamala Harris, voters’ anxieties have been broader and extra difficult. Though qualms about her persona got here up much less usually than with Trump, trustworthiness and honesty have been nonetheless massive query marks for a lot of voters.
So was her potential to deal with the economic system. Voters particularly talked about prices and inflation, a persistent concern amongst undecided and never absolutely determined voters over the previous few months.
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Concern about Harris
“She is going to make the economic system worse than it’s.”
Black man, 20s, Georgia
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Concern about Harris
“That she’s like each different politician, that she isn’t going to really do something to assist us.”
Black girl, 30s, Ohio
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Concern about Harris
“Convey down the worth of groceries and housing.”
Black girl, 60s, Georgia
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Concern about Harris
“How she would deal with the economic system.”
Hispanic girl, 20s, Georgia
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Concern about Harris
“Too liberal.”
Black girl, 50s, Michigan
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Concern about Harris
“Not following by way of.”
White girl, 30s, Wisconsin
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Concern about Harris
“The individuals didn’t vote for her; she was appointed. That’s not democracy.”
White man, 60s, Wisconsin
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Concern about Harris
“Democrats take the African American vote without any consideration. Undecided her insurance policies are going to profit African Individuals.”
Black man, 30s, North Carolina
Additionally they questioned her talents and questioned if she was prepared for the job. Some voters described her with caustic language, which echoes Trump’s, who known as her “mentally disabled” and “mentally impaired.”
Harris has not leaned into the historic nature of her candidacy — she could be the primary girl of coloration to be president. For a few of these voters, her background could also be a problem. Some voters used language that was outright sexist.
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Concern about Harris
“That she’s not clever sufficient to be president. I feel she is an fool.”
White man, 70s, Arizona
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Concern about Harris
“I don’t assume she’s obtained all of it collectively.”
White girl, 70s, Arizona
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Concern about Harris
“Total untrustworthy.”
Black man, 40s, North Carolina
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Concern about Harris
“I don’t know a lot about her, however I’m not sure about how ready she is to be president.”
Hispanic man, 30s, Arizona
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Concern about Harris
“She’s a girl. I’m undecided she will get the job executed. Individuals in all probability gained’t hearken to her.”
White girl, 50s, Ohio
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Concern about Harris
“She’s a girl.”
Black girl, 60s, Wisconsin