Trump pulls ahead of Clinton in leading poll

As the race to the White House enters its final week, Hillary Clinton’s campaign has received another blow, dropping behind Donald Trump by one point in a leading national poll.

US Democratic Presidential Candidate and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gestures as she speaks during her presidential campaign event.

US Democratic Presidential Candidate and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gestures as she speaks during her presidential campaign event. Source: EPA

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's top surrogates were rallying voters across the US after she dropped one point in the race, according to a poll, while the Republican camp relied solely on Donald Trump and his running mate.

Hillary Clinton has made more than a dozen stops across the south eastern state of Florida in the past week.

Now, Ms Clinton has enlisted the help of a familiar face to mobilise vital voter blocs.

One of the first women to claim abuse by Donald Trump, former Miss Universe Alicia Machado, was chosen to drive the message home to women and Latinos.

“Trump was overwhelming. I was scared of him. He made fun of me and I didn’t know how to respond. He told me I looked ugly and I was massive. He said to me, Miss Piggy, Miss Housekeeping, Miss Eating Machine.”
"Like all of you, I am excited to be voting in this election. And you know what I could not be more proud to cast my first presidential vote for Hillary Clinton."
With the FBI reigniting Hillary Clinton’s email saga, the Democratic presidential candidate attempted to shift the focus emails back on to Donald Trump’s character.

“He has spent a lot of time demeaning and assaulting women,” she told her supporters.

“For some of you, it’s about what he said about a judge born in India, that we can’t trust him because his parents were born in Mexico. Then he went on to attack a Gold Star [war veteran’s] family.”

Her campaign released a new ad to drive home the message to women voters, featuring comments he has made including those he made on a bus about assaulting women.
Across the US, the Democrats launched a campaign blitz.

President Obama had the task of motivating voters in the bellwether state of Ohio.
“I want you to focus on the choice you face in this election, he's unqualified to be president, unfit to be commander in chief.”
Mr Trump and his running mate, Mike Pence, were on their own, targeting two of the Democrat states they must win: Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

The billionaire and his supporters have been fired up by a new poll from ABC America and the Washington Post, showing him ahead by one point.

With the momentum shifting, his focus was on overturning ObamaCare.

“We must repeal and replace and we will do it very quickly, it's a catastrophe,” he said in Pennsylvania.  

Mr Trump is estimated to have spent $25 million trying to turn these blue states red, and hoping to persuade early voters to change their ballots.

“Wisconsin is one of several states where you can change your early ballot if you think you've made a mistake. A lot of stuff has come out since you voted."
"So, if you live here or in Michigan or in Pennsylvania or Minnesota, those four places, you can change your vote to Donald Trump we'll make America great again OK?”
Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan is among those who've voted early.

But his relationship with Donald Trump is so bitter, he wouldn't utter his name during an interview on Fox News.

“I am supporting our entire republican ticket. I have been all along, which has not changed at all. My focus personally right now is saving our house majority.

A New York Times report has shifted some of the focus back on Donald Trump’s tax return avoidance.

The report claims new documents have been obtained, showing the billionaire may have used a legally dubious loophole, now outlawed, to avoid paying taxes in the early 1990s.
They claimed his lawyers believed it would likely have been deemed improper if he were audited.

But it's hard to verify, because Mr Trump has refused to release his tax returns.

Among the 24 million early votes, the Democrats have the edge in North Carolina.

But in other must-win states such as Arizona and Florida, the Republicans are marginally ahead.

With agencies

Sarah Abo is in Washington DC as part of SBS' coverage of the US Election.


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4 min read
Published 2 November 2016 7:53pm
Updated 2 November 2016 8:05pm
By Sarah Abo


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