Poll: Trump Slide In North Carolina May Be Candidate's Fault

A new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Hillary Clinton narrowly leading rival Donald Trump in North Carolina. But that's not all it found.

While the survey, taken between August 5th-7th, falls in line with Real Clear Politics' polling average, the questions beneath the top line give a clue as to why Trump's support seems to be flagging.

According to PPP President Dean Debnam, Clinton's small lead in North Carolina has more to do with Trump than it does with her. So what does the polling say?

For one, only 20 percent of Tar Heel voters thought Trump's criticism of a Gold Star family last month was appropriate. More than half thought he was out of line.

There's also the issue of Trump's tax returns, which he has refused to make public. Nearly three in five North Carolinians want him to disclose them.

And more than half of the state's voters say they're less likely to vote for a candidate if they believe Russia is helping that person. Trump has jokingly called on Russian hackers to release more than 30,000 unaccounted-for Clinton emails.

Still, while Trump's numbers have been sliding the last few weeks, voters should remember: both candidates have been battling historically low favorability ratings this year.