WaPo/ABC Poll: Clinton Holds Onto Significant Post-Convention Bump

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton appears on stage at a rally a Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center in Columbus, Ohio, Sunday, July 31, 2016. Clinton and Kaine are on a three-day bus tour through... Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton appears on stage at a rally a Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center in Columbus, Ohio, Sunday, July 31, 2016. Clinton and Kaine are on a three-day bus tour through the rust belt. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) MORE LESS
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A well-received Democratic National Convention and a rough news week for Donald Trump have left Hillary Clinton with a comfortable lead among voters, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll out Sunday.

Clinton held an eight-point lead over Trump, earning 50 percent of support among registered voters compared to 42 percent for the real estate tycoon. This marks a four-point bump for Clinton from the last WaPo-ABC poll taken just before the Republican National Convention began in mid-July, where she led 47 percent to 43 percent.

The Democratic nominee’s lead falls slightly in a four-way contest that includes Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson and the Green Party’s Jill Stein. In a four-way race, Clinton leads Trump 45 percent to 37 percent, while Johnson takes 8 percent and Stein takes 4 percent.

The survey reveals that Clinton earned a bigger boost from her party’s convention in Philadelphia than Trump earned from the GOP summit in Cleveland. Clinton’s support among self-identified Democrats climbed from 86 percent in mid-July to 92 percent in the last poll. The Dem convention focused explicitly on bringing the party together, with former candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) urging his supporters to vote for Clinton from the Wells Fargo Center stage, and pro-Clinton speeches from President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.

Trump’s popularity among self-identified Republicans, on the other hand, stayed relatively flat. The businessman had 82 percent support before his convention and 83 percent in the new poll.

Trump’s week-long barrage of attacks against the family of Humayun Khan, a Muslim American Army Captain killed in Iraq in 2004, has damaged his popularity as well. Khizr Khan condemned Trump at the DNC for his criticism of Muslims living in the U.S., and Trump responded by lashing out at the family.

According to the WaPo-ABC poll, only 13 percent of registered voters said that they approve of how Trump handled the situation. An overwhelming 74 percent disapproved, with 56 percent saying they strongly disapproved.

The latest high numbers for Clinton are consistent with a slate of new polls conducted after the conventions, which showed her leading Trump by between three to nine percent points. She also took the lead in key battleground states including Georgia and Virginia.

The poll was conducted from Aug. 1-Aug. 5 among 1,002 adults via cellular and landline phones. The margin of error was 3.5 percentage points.

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