Democrats, giddy with the idea they were getting rid of Joe Biden as their presidential nominee this year, surged around Kamala Harris when the party’s elite picked her to replace the mentally failing president.

Polls reflected that and headlines proclaimed the race was closer than ever, that Harris actually was leading, that swing states thought to be trending Republican actually were in play.

That bump in popularity, which happens whenever there’s a major political campaign announcement, a convention, a VP announcement and the like, may be over.

Polling by Napolitan Institute, released on Friday, shows Trump back in a lead similar to that he held over Biden before the Democrats torpedoed him and gave his campaign cash to Harris.

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“In the race for the White House, Donald Trump leads Kamala Harris 46% to 45%. When leaners are included, the Napolitan News survey of 3,000 Likely Voters shows Trump ahead 49% to 47%. A week ago, the candidates were tied at 49% among Likely Voters,” the polling organization said.

“These numbers suggest that the initial Harris bounce is over. However, the core dynamics of the race remain unchanged. Love him or hate him, voters know what they think of Donald Trump. At this point in time, Kamala Harris remains largely unknown. That means events like the upcoming Democratic convention and presidential debates could have a bigger impact than usual.”

The organization said the presidential race, at this point, remains too close to call. But analysts have pointed out that in the previous two elections, President Trump has delivered a performance a fair margin above his polling numbers.

“Trump voters are slightly more likely to vote than Harris supporters. So, the former president does a bit better with a lower turnout. What’s especially amazing about this close race is that it’s quite plausible to envision either party winning a trifecta: control of the Presidency, the Senate, and the House. The most important race to determine Senate control is in Montana. The latest Napolitan News survey there shows Democrat Jon Tester with a narrow lead but the state’s political gravity is likely to boost Republican Tim Sheehy.”

A report at Just the News cited the poll to explain respondents are “catapulting Trump to lead and ending Harris surge.”

The report noted Harris was leading Trump 44% to 43% in the same survey just a week ago, and held a five-point lead at the beginning of the month.

The report noted pollster Rasmussen previously had warned that Harris’s “initial surge” could have been a “sugar high” based on the ouster of Biden as the candidate, and her momentum “appears to have stopped.”

“These numbers suggest that the initial Harris bounce is over,” Rasmussen told Just the News

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Bob Unruh

Bob Unruh joined WND in 2006 after nearly three decades with the Associated Press, as well as several Upper Midwest newspapers, where he covered everything from legislative battles and sports to tornadoes and homicidal survivalists. He is also a photographer whose scenic work has been used commercially. Read more of Bob Unruh's articles here.