Trump adviser acknowledges: ‘We are behind’

Atop adviser to Donald Trump has acknowledged the Republican presidential candidate was lagging behind rival Hillary Clinton, as the Democratic nominee pressed a strategy of encouraging early voting in key battleground states.

Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway said Clinton had “tremendous advantages,” including a large campaign war chest that had allowed her to spend millions on television ads ahead of the November 8 election.

“We are behind,” Conway said on NBC’s Meet the Press. But she added the Trump campaign was looking to sway undecided voters not ready to support Clinton.

As the polling gap has widened, Trump has said repeatedly the election is being “rigged” against him. He has not offered evidence and numerous studies have shown that the US election system, which is decentralised and run by the states, is sound.

The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Friday had Clinton leading Trump by 4 percentage points, and the most recent State of the Nation project showed Clinton with a 95 per cent chance of winning the 270 Electoral College votes needed to secure the presidency.

An ABC News poll released on Sunday morning had Clinton leading with 50 per cent of likely support, compared with Trump’s 38 per cent.

As Trump battled to win over undecided voters, efforts by advisers and members of his inner circle to downplay his remarks about the integrity of the election indicated he would come under significant pressure to accept the election results if he were to lose.