WASHINGTON — Former US President Donald Trump leads Vice President Kamala Harris by 2 points in the latest Wall Street Journal poll, conducted after President Joe Biden exited the 2024 presidential race.

Trump received 49% support among 1,000 registered voters, while Harris garnered 47%, according to the poll.

Published on Friday, the poll suggests a significant improvement in Kamala Harris's performance over Biden's, who trailed Trump by six points in a Wall Street Journal poll earlier this month. Biden’s poor debate performance had intensified calls for him to withdraw from the race, which he did last weekend after weeks of internal party debates about his age, mental fitness, and ability to win the White House in November.

The poll also revealed a sharp increase in Harris's favorability among registered voters, rising from 35% earlier this month to 46%, an 11-point jump. In contrast, Trump’s favorability stood at 47%, while Biden’s was at 39%.

Following Biden’s suspension of his campaign, Harris quickly gained key endorsements from party members, experienced a surge in fundraising, and secured commitments from enough delegates to clinch the nomination.

The Wall Street Journal poll, conducted from July 23-25, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, according to the Journal's article. — Agencies