Presumptive Republican Presidential Nominee Donald Trump appears to be losing ground in Florida. According to the Quinnipiac University Poll, Democrat Hillary Clinton leads Trump by eight points in the state, and Clinton also holds a heavy lead in fundraising.
According to NPR, the most recent campaign finance reports show the Clinton campaign with $42 million compared to Trump’s $1.3 million.
Tim Malloy, an assistant director at the Quinnipiac University Poll, says Clinton's lead could spell danger for Trump.
"This is a very significant event for Hillary Clinton," Malloy says. "She surged to an eight point lead in Florida, the largest of the swing states. She made up ground in Ohio, and she’s dead-ear in Pennsylvania. So this is a good survey for Clinton and a very bad one for Trump, because he needs to win Florida."
Malloy says Trump lost support from Florida’s male voters, and Clinton made significant gains among Florida women.
"Trump's support among men dropped in Florida," Malloy says. "It was 49 to 36 in the positive back in May. It's 45 to 41 now. Clinton's lead among women has grown significantly. So, it's sort of a double whammy. "
The poll also says Florida voters trust Trump, but they would turn to Clinton at a time of crisis.
“Florida voters believe that Clinton is better prepared to be president," Malloy says. "By a large margin, they think she has higher moral standards. By a large margin, they think she’s more intelligent. However, they think Trump is more honest and trustworthy. They find Clinton more inspiring than Trump, although they find Trump a slightly stronger leader.
"But on the big things like, 'Who would handle an international crisis?' [and] 'Who should be in charge of nuclear weapons?' Hillary Clinton comes out way, way ahead.”
The poll also examines two other swing states: Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Clinton leads Trump by one point in Pennsylvania, 42 to 41, and the candidates are tied in Ohio, 40 to 40. Malloy says since 1960, no presidential candidate has won without taking at least two of these three swing states.
"Here's what we can say confidently: by a large margin, voters in the swing states would rather invite Trump to a barbeque in their backyard," Malloy says. "But most would turn to Clinton in a personal crisis...Pennsylvania voters, Ohio voters, Florida voters especially, say Hillary Clinton is smarter, more morally grounded better equipped to handle the what if's, the use of nuclear weapons.
"It's a toss-up on leadership, but in a broad overview Trump is coming up short, and losing ground with men in Florida has got to be a red flag."
