A new American Thinker/Rasmussen Reports poll of 1,202 likely voters in Pennsylvania shows Donald Trump and Kamala Harris tied at 48% each if the election were held today. Drilling down, though, the poll, which got responses from 517 Democrats, 514 Republicans, and 171 “other” voters, reveals that likely Pennsylvania voters are less evenly split regarding the issues.

When asked to select the most important issue to them when thinking about the presidential and congressional elections, 37% ranked the economy as their top issue, with abortion (17%) and border security following behind (15%).

However, even though only 15% of likely voters listed border security as their primary concern, 29% ranked solving illegal immigration as the most important issue for the next president. (Addressing rising prices and protecting America’s democracy were the second and third priorities for the incoming administration.)

Image made using AI and a photo of Independence Hall by xiquinhosilva. CC BY 2.0.

Fifty percent of Pennsylvania’s likely voters favor a candidate who wants deportation, while 33% back an amnesty candidate. Also, 62% of poll respondents believe that the government is doing too little to stop the current influx of illegal border crossers. Fifty-three percent think that Trump can be trusted more to secure the border, while 41% trust Harris to do the job.

Respondents had conflicting results about American liberty moving forward. Fifty-three percent of likely voters tagged Harris and the Democrats as the greater threat to democracy, with only 44% saying the same of Trump and the Republicans. However, 48% of voters said that Republicans were a greater threat of a “dictatorship or tyranny” than Democrats (46%).

When asked about the biggest enemy facing America, whether foreign or domestic, the poll reveals that Pennsylvania’s likely voters aren’t overly concerned about Iran (7%) or Russia (11%). China, at 20%, is a greater worry. However, the biggest worry for poll responders was the Democrat party, which 25% of respondents classified as America’s current “biggest enemy.”

On the economy, 43% of poll respondents said that their view of Joe Biden’s economic policies made them less likely to support Harris, versus 30% who said those policies made them more likely to support her. In contrast, fifty percent of likely Pennsylvania voters believe Trump can be trusted more to improve America’s economic situation, versus 46% believing the same of Harris.

Pennsylvania’s voters strongly support lower energy prices (63%) compared to lowering carbon emissions (30%). Regarding handling America’s energy policies, the voters were fairly evenly split, with 49% favoring Trump and 48% favoring Harris.

In response to a question about the threat America faces from powerful foreign nations (i.e., China, Russia, and Iran), 51% of Pennsylvania’s likely voters think that Trump is more trustworthy in handling them, versus 46% who think Harris is the best on foreign policy.

The poll respondents were clear about transgenderism. Seventy-two percent agree that there are only two sexes, while 21% disagree. Voters’ views on gender-affirming care for minors roughly align with these numbers. Sixty-four percent of Pennsylvania’s likely voters oppose those treatments, while 27% support them.

Generally, Pennsylvania voters suffer from what Jimmy Carter once called “malaise.” Only 38% think they’re better off now than four years ago, versus 53% who say they’re worse off. Likewise, only 21% believe their children will be better off than they are, with 53% believing their children will not fare well. The majority of responders are very sure that America is not safer than it was four years ago (63%), with only 28% believing that it is.

The two presidential candidates were closely situated when it came to favorability. Fifty-one percent of voters view Kamala Harris favorably, while 47% view her unfavorably. Meanwhile, 50% of likely voters view Trump favorably, while 48% view him unfavorably. These views roughly parallel people’s views of the Democrat and Republican parties (48% are okay with the Democrats versus 49% who are not, while 47% are okay with the Republicans versus 51% who are not.)

Rasmussen Reports sums up the poll results here, and you can see more detailed information about the polls here.