New York, August 29 (RHC)-- A new U.S. national poll shows that the lead  by Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton over her Republican rival, Donald Trump, has been halved in one week.  In the Morning Consult poll released early on Sunday, the former secretary of state leads the New York billionaire by 3 points, 43 percent to 40 percent throughout the country.  She led the GOP candidate 44 percent to 38 percent a week earlier. 

The candidates were both viewed unfavorably by the voters as is the case in the polls, with Trump getting 58 percent this time and Clinton 57 percent in the survey taken from August 24 to August 26.  The head-to-head match-up has not been this close since late July, when Clinton led Trump 43 percent to 40 percent.

The new Morning Consult poll was conducted among 2,007 registered voters and had a margin of error of two percentage points.  It also shows that 79 percent of the African American population vote for the former first lady while the real estate mogul enjoys only five percent of Black support.

Among women voters, Trump also trails Clinton — 44 percent to 35 percent — with 21 percent remaining undecided.  Meanwhile, independent voters remained highly divided with 35 percent backing Clinton; 34 percent voting for Trump; and 31 percent remaining undecided.