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ABC Gets Called Out for Pre-Debate Poll: ‘Trying to Set Up a Particular Narrative’

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OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.


ABC News posted a curious article just one day before its set to host the highly anticipated presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

The poll released just 24 hours before the debate touted Harris’ rising popularity among “likely voters,” but there’s a catch — the poll was from late August, almost two weeks ago.

The article bizarrely asserts that “closer inspection suggests shift to Harris in several groups when comparing all adults with probable voters—notably, those younger than 40, younger women in especially, and Black people” after characterizing the polling between Harris and Trump as “virtually identical.”

“This analysis, produced for ABC News by Langer Research Associates, finds that support for Harris goes from 54 percent of all adults younger than 40 to 64 percent of those identified as likely voters,” ABC claimed. “Trump’s support, meanwhile, drops from 42 percent of adults in this age group to 33 percent of those likely to vote.”

Strangely missing from Monday’s piece, ABC omitted all pertinent information regarding polls, including dates, sample size, and margin of error.

No, that technique was concealed in an entirely separate article from September 1 that essentially repeated the Monday article’s claims.

It should come as no surprise that ABC News faced criticism on social media for this deceit.

While these numbers might have been valid at one point (the original polling took place from August 23 to August 27), Washington Examiner correspondent Byron York wisely pointed out that due to the shortened election season, any information from late August will be woefully out of date by the time the second week of September arrives.

“Posted this morning, this appears to be based on an ABC poll conducted August 23-27,” York posted to social media platform X. “ABC didn’t do a new poll to set the stage for its own debate?”

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Another X user excoriated ABC News by citing pollster Nate Silver’s own models — none of which are too friendly towards Harris.

Reporter Rusty Weiss was similarly flabbergasted that this information was being presented as “new” or even newsworthy.

“This poll was conducted last month. And new polls – even left-leaning ones – now show Trump back in the lead.

“Weird how that’s not mentioned at all in your report. Almost like you’re trying to set up a particular narrative heading into your own debate.”

Trump has risen above Harris in the most recent 2024 election forecast.

Reputable pollster Nate Silver provided updated data on Monday showing that Trump leads Harris by a decisive 64.4% to 35.3% in the national estimate. Trump has reached a new peak with this, solidifying his increasing momentum as a possible front-runner for the presidency.

The swing states, where Trump is expected to win significant battlegrounds that could eventually decide the election, are what further underscores the importance of this prognosis. According to polls, Trump appears to be ahead of Harris in several states that saw intense competition for the 2020 presidential election.

Here’s a breakdown of the numbers:

–Pennsylvania: Trump 65% – Harris 35%

–Michigan: Trump 55% – Harris 45%

–Wisconsin: Trump 53% – Harris 47%

–Arizona: Trump 77% – Harris 23%

–North Carolina: Trump 76% – Harris 24%

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–Georgia: Trump 69% – Harris 31%

–Nevada: Trump 61% – Harris 39%

Trump’s commanding lead in what are usually considered to be important swing states—Arizona, Georgia, and Pennsylvania—may prove to be the deciding factor in the 2024 election.

There are a few possible reasons for Trump’s present lead against Harris in the polls.

His messaging on subjects like crime, border security, and inflation, for starters, has struck a chord with a sizable block of voters. Furthermore, Trump has a clear edge because of his persistent popularity among Republicans and his tight hold on the GOP base.

Much of the electorate has remained faithful to Trump, but Harris has found it difficult to win over Democrats with the same fervor.

Markets for political wagering are also beginning to reflect the increasing perception that Trump is winning. Polymarket’s odds show that Trump is currently leading Harris at 52%, with Harris trailing at 46%.

These odds offer more information on how people see Trump’s strong position going into the closing weeks of the campaign, even though they are more erratic and subject to change.

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