- The Washington Times - Thursday, August 25, 2016

Hillary Clinton has a double-digit lead over Donald Trump in a head-to-head contest, according to a national poll released Thursday by Quinnipiac University.

Mrs. Clinton held a 10-point, 51 percent to 41 percent lead over Mr. Trump in the survey of likely voters conducted from Aug. 18-24.

In a four-way contest, Mrs. Clinton’s lead shrunk to 7 points. She was at 45 percent, Mr. Trump was at 38 percent, Libertarian Party presidential nominee Gary Johnson was at 10 percent, and Green Party nominee Jill Stein was at 4 percent.

“We are starting to hear the faint rumblings of a Hillary Clinton landslide as her 10-point lead is further proof that Donald Trump is in a downward spiral as the clock ticks,” said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.

Sixty-one percent said they have an unfavorable view of Mr. Trump, and 53 percent said the same of Mrs. Clinton. Thirty-seven percent said they would consider voting third party.

Although a majority of voters said neither candidate is honest, Mrs. Clinton fared worse on that front. Fifty-three percent said Mr. Trump is not honest, compared to 66 percent who said the same of Mrs. Clinton.

“Trump’s missteps, stumbles and gaffes seem to outweigh Clinton’s shaky trust status and perceived shady dealings,” Mr. Malloy said. “Wow, is there any light at the end of this dark and depressing chapter in American politics?”

In recent days, the Clinton campaign has had to push back on an AP report that said among a set of private individuals who met with Mrs. Clinton while she was secretary of state, a majority contributed to the Clinton Foundation or pledged commitments to its international programs.

Sixty percent said Mrs. Clinton believes she does not have to play by the same rules as everyone else, and 65 percent said she doesn’t take responsibility for her mistakes. She also faces lingering questions over her private email server.

But voters picked her over Mr. Trump on intelligence, being qualified to be president, having good leadership skills, having the right kind of experience to be president, and caring about average Americans.

Mrs. Clinton also had a slight edge on the economy, while Mr. Trump had a narrow edge on terrorism.

About three-quarters of voters, including 62 percent of Republicans, said Mr. Trump should release his tax returns, and about six in 10 voters overall said the way Mr. Trump talks “appeals to bigotry.”

• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.

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