American Nightmare? New Poll Has Trump and Clinton Neck and Neck

Donald Trump is now running nearly even with Democrat Hillary Clinton among likely U.S. voters, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released Wednesday, although the survey suggests the electorate doesn't trust either candidate with key presidential responsibilities.

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The survey polled 1,289 people between May 6 to May 10 and found that 41 percent of likely voters supported Clinton, the Democratic front-runner, while 40 percent backed Trump, with 19 percent undecided. The poll had a credibility interval of about 3 percentage points.

The results could signal a close fight between the two likely White House rivals as Americans make up their minds ahead of the Nov. 8 election to succeed Democratic President Barack Obama. As recently as last week, Clinton led Trump by around 13 points in the poll.

The results reflect a big increase in support for Trump since he knocked out U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and Ohio Governor John Kasich last week to become the last Republican standing in the race for the White House race.

Despite both effectively securing the nominations for their respective parties, Trump and Clinton have much to prove to the American electorate. The Reuters/Ipsos poll found earlier this month that a majority of voters did not trust either candidate with key presidential responsibilities such as managing the U.S. economy, handling the role of U.S. commander in chief, and conducting themselves according to a “high moral standard.”

The candidates' choice of running mates could also be important. Voters surveyed in the poll said they would be more likely to support Clinton if her choice for vice president was a liberal, while Trump would help his chances if he picked someone experienced in politics and someone who is “consistently” conservative.

As teleSUR reported on Wednesday, various polls compiled by the Huffington Post put Vermont senator Bernie Sanders as the best candidate to defeat Trump in the forthcoming election.

Surveys show that Sanders would easily defeat Trump in the November presidential elections by more than 14 percentage points, which according to the Huffington Post is a “landslide (victory) in modern politics.”