Trump defiant as Clinton surges

Donald Trump pledged to pour millions of his own dollars into his presidential bid on Wednesday, in defiance of the seemingly unstoppable momentum building behind Hillary Clinton.

With less than two weeks before polling day, and with early voting under way in several states, the Democratic nominee remains comfortably on course to become America's first female president.

The latest rolling poll average compiled by tracker RealClearPolitics showed Clinton extending her national lead in a four-way race against Trump and two outsiders to 5.9 percentage points -- pointing to a clear electoral college victory.

A separate poll conducted for the Associated Press gave her a commanding double-digit lead over Trump.

The AP-GfK poll found that likely voters support Clinton over Trump, 51 to 37 – a whopping margin that would all but shut the window on the prospect of a Trump victory.

But the former secretary of state's rival, a 70-year-old Manhattan real estate mogul, took heart from a separate new survey that shows him with a two-point lead in early-voting Florida, a state where races are often won and lost.

"We are going to have, I think, a tremendous victory," Trump told CNN.

Despite his claim, polls continue to reflect a reality alternate to what Trump puts forth.

More Republicans now think Clinton, rather than him, will win the presidency, as their party's candidate struggles with difficulties including allegations of sexual misconduct and his suggestion he may not honour the outcome of the election.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 41 percent of Republicans expected Clinton to win the Nov 8 election, versus 40 percent who picked Trump.

Trump, a businessman and former reality television star, has alarmed mainstream Republicans throughout his campaign by routinely bashing the political establishment and making a series of provocative statements.

He aroused criticism for belittling the parents of a US soldier killed in the Iraq war, calling for a ban on admitting Muslims to the country and accusing a judge of bias because of his Hispanic heritage. He has also asserted, without showing evidence, that the US electoral system is rigged.

But Republicans remained mostly confident in their candidate's chances until this month, when a videotape from 2005 was released in which Trump could be heard bragging in vulgar terms about kissing and groping women.

At least 10 women have since accused Trump of making unwanted sexual advances, including groping or kissing, from the early 1980s to 2007, according to reports in various news outlets. Trump has denied the women's allegations, calling them "totally and absolutely false" and has promised to sue the women after the election.

Trump has also deepened divisions within his party by refusing to promise to accept the outcome of the election. "I will keep you in suspense," he said when asked about the issue during an Oct 19 debate with Clinton.

Obama will campaign for Clinton in Florida today -- a state he won, albeit narrowly, in both the 2008 and 2012 races.

Florida is the country's third most populous state and one with a wide mix of voting groups, including retirees, Hispanics and Bible Belt whites.