Trump is angry that the television network that usually fawns over him published a poll showing him losing reelection in 2020.
Donald Trump on Friday criticized Fox News for publishing a poll that shows every top-tier Democratic presidential contender would beat Trump if the election were held today.
In a tweet riddled with grammatical mistakes, Trump called on Fox News to get a new pollster — ostensibly one that would find better results for Trump.
“Worst Polls,” Trump tweeted, minutes after Fox News aired a segment about the poll. “Just like in 2016 when they were so far off the mark, are the @FoxNews Polls. Why doesn’t Fox finally get a competent Polling Company?”
But Fox News — despite its obvious bias toward Trump and Republicans — had very accurate polling in 2016.
It’s final national poll in 2016 found Hillary Clinton with 48% of the vote to Trump’s 44%. That was almost directly on the mark with the actual 2016 results, in which Clinton took 48.5% of the vote to Trump’s 46.4%. (Trump won, thanks to the Electoral College, despite earning millions of fewer votes than Clinton.)
The new 2020 poll that Trump takes issue with finds that if the election were held today, Trump would lose to any of the top Democratic presidential contenders currently running.
The Fox News poll found:
- Former Vice President Joe Biden would beat Trump, 49% to 41%;
- Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) would beat Trump, 49% to 41%;
- Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg would beat Trump; 48% to 40%;
- Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts would beat Trump, 46% to 43%; and
- And former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg would beat Trump, 45% to 42%.
Trump has long tried to control the messaging on Fox News, which employs numerous hosts who fawn over Trump, such as Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Tucker Carlson, and Lou Dobbs, among others.
Trump religiously watches the network, often tweeting things he sees airing on the channel during the workday.
But he has criticized the network when he feels it’s being insufficiently loyal to him or allowing people who criticize him on their programs.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.
Emily Singer Emily C. Singer is a Senior Political Reporter for The American Independent. She's covered campaigns and elections for years, including at Roll Call, Mashable and Mic.
