CNN’s senior political data reporter Harry Enten took aim at President Biden’s claim that he could have won re-election if he had stayed in the 2024 race.
After President-elect Trump’s landslide victory, Democrats have speculated on what might have gone differently. Biden, too, shared his thoughts.
In a USA Today interview, Biden said, "It's presumptuous to say that, but I think yes," when asked if he could have won. He cited polling data to support his belief.
Enten wasn’t convinced. He called Biden’s claim “flat out bonkers.”
"Based on the polling data, Biden was well behind Trump when he dropped out," Enten posted on X. "No incumbent as unpopular as Biden has ever won."
In a video accompanying his tweet, Enten broke down the numbers. He showed polling from July 2024, when Biden dropped out. In key Great Lake battleground states, "Donald Trump was ahead in all three."
"But it’s not just that Trump was ahead," Enten added. "He was ahead by a lot in these critical states."
Enten widened his analysis, highlighting a telling statistic. "Days Biden led Trump in 2024? Zero. Nada. No days," he said, showing a big zero on the screen.
Concluding his critique, Enten left no room for doubt. "Joe Biden was behind, had always been behind, and most likely would have stayed behind."