How the polling landscape has changed in the last two weeks: From the Politics Desk

Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and analysis from the campaign trail, the White House and Capitol Hill.

In today’s edition, we report on how the polling landscape has changed since Vice President Kamala Harris took over as the Democratic presidential candidate. Plus, correspondent Yamiche Alcindor dives into both campaigns' race to define Kamala Harris on their own terms.

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The race is on to define Kamala Harris

By Yamiche Alcindor

Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign rallies are a clear change from those held by President Joe Biden, the man she is replacing at the top of the Democratic ticket. The soundtrack is Beyoncé’s “Freedom” and songs like the “Cupid Shuffle.” Megan Thee Stallion performs. They’re brat — or at least trying to be.

While the atmospherics are meant to bring some energy back to the Democratic Party, she has also introduced herself to the country as a prosecutor out to press the case against former President Donald Trump.

But the Trump campaign is rushing to define Harris differently.

“Weak, failed, too liberal,” Trump senior adviser Brian Hughes said. “The agenda that brought a border invasion when she was border czar.”

Harris is an unprecedented presidential candidate, thrust into the top spot roughly 100 days before the election. She’s not the incumbent, and she didn’t have to go through a grueling primary process. Some voters are still learning the details of her biography: her background, policies she supported and how she’s different from Biden.

And both sides are eager to make sure their image of Harris is the one that