United States Republican candidate Donald Trump is now running head-to-head with his opponent in the Nov. 8 presidential election, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, in the latest poll conducted by ABC News and Washington Post.
Mrs Clinton’s sudden drop in popularity is traceable to the announcement, Friday, by the FBI that it had reopened its investigation into her use of emails as secretary of state.
Trump has been making the most of the scandal since Friday, gleefully congratulating the FBI on reviving the case which he said should never have been closed.
About a third of likely voters say they’re less likely to support Clinton given the disclosure by FBI director James Comey that the bureau is investigating more emails related to its probe of Clinton’s use of a private email server.
The FBI’s decision was made after investigators confiscated a laptop shared by Clinton aide Huma Abedin with her disgraced husband Anthony Weiner.
Tens of thousands of emails were found on the computer, Fox News reported, and may be pertinent to Clinton’s handling of classified information during her time as secretary of state.
Increased turnout for undecided voters will be to Trump’s advantage. Independents are now more likely to lean towards the Republican candidate, according to the new figures.
There are several key battleground states. Chief among them are Florida, Ohio and North Carolina which combined account for 62 seats in Congress.
Many angry Americans have withdrawn their support for Clinton, alleging that she was a liar who was selling America’s secrets in order to enrich the Clintons’ foundation.
Last week, Clinton was leading Trump by 12-percentage points in the polls. Eight days to Election Day, it’s no longer certain who would be America’s next president.
–With agency reports
