CNN senior statistics reporter Harry Enten said on Monday that Republican nominee Donald Trump is performing better in battleground states than in the 2020 election.
According to a New York Times/Siena College survey, Trump leads Vice President Kamala Harris by five points in Arizona, four points in Georgia, and three points in North Carolina.
Enten pointed out that these percentages are “significantly better” than Trump’s polling result in 2020, indicating a good trend for the outgoing president.
“There is a lot of red on this screen, which is good news for Donald Trump…” When you add it all up in these three crucial battleground states, two of which [President] Joe Biden carried four years ago, we see that Donald Trump is ahead by an average of four points, which is much better than he did in 2020 across all of these states,” Enten added.
Enten also emphasized Harris’ tiny 2-point advantages in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, underlining the stark contrast between the Sun Belt and Great Lakes states. He ascribed Trump’s improved success in the Sun Belt to his coalition being more ethnically diversified, noting a rise in his support among non-white voters from 16% in 2020 to 20% by 2024.
“If you know anything about those Sun Belt battleground states, it is that they are more diverse than those Great Lake battleground states,” Enten pointed out. “The Southwest has a higher Hispanic population than the rest of the country, whereas the South, Southeast, North Carolina, and Georgia have a higher African American population.
“And I think the real question here is, what does this mean for the electoral map because that is what we are all interested in and look folks, it is just as tight as it can possibly be,” he went on.
Enten offered an electoral map indicating Harris would win 276 to 262 if polling in the Great Lakes states is accurate. Given Trump’s track record of surpassing swing state polls in 2016 and 2020, he is projected to do better in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan than current polls indicate.
Former President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign has been notable for a variety of reasons, most notably the two assassination attempts on him, but it stands out politically because of his openness to engage persons with opposing viewpoints.
Trump has attracted three former Democrats: billionaire Elon Musk, former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who ran for president as an Independent after his party rejected his candidacy in favor of appointing Vice President Kamala Harris as Biden’s successor.
On Sunday, during Sharyl Attkisson’s syndicated show “Full Measure,” the anchor asked Trump if he had any “specific positions” in mind for the three former Democrats if he were to recapture the White House after the November election.
“Three people, by the way, who were Democrats or, in Musk’s case, I am not sure, supported Democrats. “What specific positions do you see them holding?” she inquired.
Trump stated that he has not committed to any of them thus far, although he did praise RFK Jr.’s efforts to improve the country’s health.
“I mean, he is been fighting for this for years,” he remarked. “He looks at other countries that do not use chemicals or use significantly less than we do. And the people are healthier than in the United States, which is not a particularly healthy country.
“Tulsi has always had good common sense. She seems like a common sense person. I have been seeing her on shows for quite some time. I have known her a little. And it was a wonderful privilege to get her. She is, you are correct. She was a Democrat and a popular figure in Hawaii. “And she will be terrific,” he continued.
Attkisson then questioned Trump on Musk’s potential administration involvement.
“So, Elon is Elon. I mean, Elon is, and he has supported me very strongly,” Trump said. “He believes this is the most significant election we have ever had. And, as you know, he probably has a lot of other things to accomplish, but—”
The host then asked if Musk will play a part in removing “government waste.”
“He is a big cost-cutter,” Trump stated. “He is always been very good at it and I am good at it.”
