Clinton widens gap over Trump in presidential race

Hillary Clinton has opened up a considerable lead over Republican rival Donald Trump in polls ahead of the US presidential election, after the New York tycoon's war of words with the father of a slain soldier.

In the McClatchy-Marist poll, Trump lost a significant chunk of support, with Clinton widening her lead to 15 points. 48% of those surveyed said they were going to vote for Democrat Clinton, while 33% were in support of her competitor.

The margin has increased in favour of the former Secretary of State since a poll last month gave her only a 5% lead.

Trump's campaign lies in turmoil after a disastrous few days in which he bickered with the father of Humayun Khan, a Muslim soldier who was killed in Iraq while trying to send his colleagues to safety.

On top of that, a number of key Republicans and donors to the GOP expressed criticism towards the billionaire businessman, with some actually pledging support for Clinton because of Trump's increasingly erratic behaviour.

There was speculation on Thursday that Donald Trump was facing pressure from within the party to step aside, but he was adamant that the Republicans are as united as ever.

In the survey, Clinton's lead is built on strong support among women, better-educated and minority voters. Among all women, she leads Trump by 51%-35% while nearly breaking even (43%-42%) among men.

Another poll from NBC News/Wall Street Journal released on Thursday afternoon also showed Clinton with a significant lead: She had 47% and Trump had 38%.