CNN senior data reporter Harry Enten said former president Donald Trump could “make history” on Election Day by winning the popular vote.
National polling suggests the Republican nominee may be in a position to win the popular vote, Enten said, making him the Republican nominee in 20 years to do so.
“Trump may win the popular vote,” Enten said.
“Everyone has been talking about this idea that Trump may win in the Electoral College but Kamala Harris will win the popular vote. But Trump may finally get his great white whale.”
“Harris versus Trump national margin, you mention that New York Times [is] a tie, that’s actually right in the middle of the spectrum when we’re talking about recent polling data. You don’t have to look very far to find Donald Trump ahead nationally.”
“He was up by 2 points in the CNBC poll, up by 3 [points] in the Wall Street Journal poll, very close races within the margin of error.”
“But the bottom line is, with the popular vote, which we really haven’t focused upon, a very, very tight race, John. Fact is Donald Trump is very much in a position [where] he could win the popular, which of course this is something he would absolutely love to do,” Enten continued.
The Daily Caller reported that Harris is leading Trump by an average of 1 point in national popular vote polls as of Friday, much lower than President Joe Biden’s 9-point lead or former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s 6-point lead in late October before the elections of 2016 and 2020.
“Harris in the average poll right now is up by 1, well within the margin of error. You go back four years ago, Joe Biden was well ahead of Donald Trump in the national popular vote polls. He was up by 9,” Enten said.
“Even Hillary Clinton was up by 6 points, so now Donald Trump’s in a position he really hasn’t been before at this point in the campaign where he could truly compete and can truly say at this point that the popular vote is way too close to call,” Enten said.
A Republican presidential nominee has not won the popular vote since former President George W. Bush won re-election in 2004
