Trump’s Reelection Odds Improve Again; Biden Getting No Boost from Kamala Harris

• For the third week in a row, the odds of Donald Trump winning reelection as President of the United States have shortened
• Trump’s betting line went from +127 to +116
• After naming Kamala Harris as his VP, Biden saw his odds fade from -156 to -144

There’s a lot of things that can be said about Donald Trump. Many of them are derogatory. However, like him or not, it’s an undeniable fact that The Donald is a fighter.

True, most of the time he fights dirty. But first and foremost, Trump fights to win. Lately, signs that he could be winning back the American public are becoming more prevalent.

For the third successive week, Trump’s 2020 election odds have shortened. This time, they’ve shortened significantly.

Trump’s betting line moved from +127 on Aug. 12th to +116 on Aug. 17th. As recently as Aug. 4th, he was at odds of +142.

2020 US Presidential Election Odds

Odds as of Aug. 17th.

Meanwhile, Democrat Joe Biden didn’t receive the usual bump that comes when a Presidential candidate introduces a running mate. Biden officially named California Senator Kamala Harris his Vice-Presidential candidate last week.

Despite the news, Biden’s odds to win the 2020 election went from -156 to -144.

Trump the TV Star

It’s a proven reality that when Trump holds his daily press briefings, his betting line always improves. There’s something to being seen every day in front of the cameras. Could it even be possible that there’s a certain level of sympathy for the President when he’s grilled by reporters?

It was a good week from Trump in the sense that he committed no major gaffes. As well, he wasn’t foolish enough to subject himself to another embarrassing interview.

Both Chris Wallace of Fox and Jonathan Swan of Axios were able to make Trump look downright incompetent when they sat across from him with the cameras rolling.

Biden: Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind

The Democratic strategy appears to be to keep their candidate under wraps and wait for Trump to self-destruct. That only works when Trump is doing outrageous things.

When Trump isn’t playing the fool, people begin to take notice that no one’s seen Biden in public for quite some time.

We may be physically apart, but this week Democrats are coming together from across the nation to put forth our vision for a better America. #DemConvention

Tune in tonight at 9 PM ET to join us: https://t.co/xk0GcS7PGq https://t.co/8pnGC9jrvd

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 17, 2020

Generally, the announcement of a Vice-Presidential candidate is cause for an improvement in both the polls and the betting lines. Biden’s choice of Harris didn’t create that level of excitement.

Perhaps it’s because Harris was expected to be his choice by some many pundits that, when it became reality, it wasn’t especially enthralling.

A Big Week Ahead

The Democratic National Convention is this week. Historically, conventions don’t cause much impact in the odds.

This year could be different, though. It’s a chance for the American people to hear from both Harris and Biden.

As well, former Republican Governor John Kasich is speaking at the convention. What will Republican voters think while watching a staunch conservative such as Kasich come out and support Trump’s opponent?

What a fraud. If you want to "save" the Post Office, remove the Postmaster General you installed who is trying to sabotage and privatize it, and support Congress' efforts to adequately fund it. https://t.co/TqZLwHgDVX

— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) August 17, 2020

Meanwhile, it will be fascinating to see how the ongoing saga over the Trump administration’s apparent dismantling of the US Post Office to prevent mail-in voting impacts the betting odds.

Then again, perhaps witnessing the extreme measures that Trump is willing to take to ensure his reelection, as well as the knowledge that Congress will do nothing to stop him, is causing a sense of resignation.

Longtime voters know that traditionally, when the Republicans go low, the Democrats go down to defeat.