Clinton gains ground in key states, Trump slips in popularity

Washington: Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has widened her lead over her Republican rival Donald Trump in key battleground states, according to a latest opinion poll.

In Colorado, Clinton leads Trump by a whopping 14 points, while in Virginia Trump is trailing behind by 13 percentage points, said a new poll by Wall Street Journal/NBC News/ Marist.

In North Carolina Clinton is leading Trump by nine points.

The survey was done between August 4 and 10.

However, in the critical State of Florida, which has 29 electoral college votes, the race is still tight with Clinton leading by five percentage points.

"These are supposed to be battleground states, but right now, they don't look that way," said Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion.

"Trump still needs to unify Republicans and better position himself among traditional GOP groups in order to make the contest competitive in these must-win states," Lee was quoted as saying by The Wall Street Journal.

Even as the election is nearly three months away, The Hill reported that the Clinton Campaign has started sensing victory.

Grant Reeher, director of the Campbell Public Affairs Institute at the Maxwell School at Syracuse University, told The Hill that the Clinton campaign is well positioned for the home stretch of the campaign after Labour Day.

She has the lead in polls of key swing states such as Ohio and Pennsylvania and appears to have a chance to expand the map with victories in traditionally red states like Georgia, he asserted.

"I am comforted by the numbers, comforted by the Republicans coming over to our side and comforted that he's handing us some minor victories because he keeps stepping in it," one longtime Clinton friend was quoted as saying by The Hill.