The Democratic party’s strategy has been to make this election a referendum on Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, rather than the Biden-Harris administration. But Trump’s late campaign strategy of building a unity team to carry messages that appeal to undecided voters appears to be paying dividends.

This strategy has worked to soften Trump’s image with women and create a broader, more appealing set of messages that has worked to sway independent voters. According to a recent ABC News/Ipsos poll, Democratic presidential hopeful Kamala Harris has a one-point lead among independents, down from the 13-point advantage that Joe Biden had during the 2020 election.