Washington: A new poll has revealed that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden was leading US President Donald Trump by sizable margins in the two key swing states of Florida and Pennsylvania, following the first fiery debate between the two rivals on September 29.
The New York Times-Siena College poll published on Saturday found that Biden was Trump in Pennsylvania by 7 percentage points, garnering 49 per cent support, compared to the President's 42 per cent, reports The Hill news website.
In Florida, the former Vice President was leading by a slightly smaller margin, 47 per cent to Trump's 42 per cent.
The races in the two states, both of which Trump won narrowly in the 2016 election, had been particularly close before the debate, although an ABC-Washington Post poll released on the day of the showdown placed Biden ahead by 9 percentage points in Pennsylvania.
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Last week, RealClearPolitics reported that Biden had a 1.3-point lead in Florida, down from 8.4 percentage points in July.
Also, the Times-Siena College poll found that only 21 per cent of likely voters in Florida and Pennsylvania said Trump won the debate, with 65 per cent disapproving of the President's conduct.
An additional 48 per cent said they "support Trump less after" the debate.
Meanwhile, a Hill-HarrisX poll conducted after the debate but before Trump announced he had tested positive for the coronavirus, found Biden leading nationally by 7 percentage points, a 2-point increase from the last poll conducted September 19-21.
The swing states are Florida, Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
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(With inputs from IANS)
