Trump’s Rigged Election Talk Is Backfiring As Hillary Clinton Now Holds Enthusiasm Edge

Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 09:22 pm

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There is a very encouraging sign for Democrats in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll, enthusiasm among likely voters for Hillary Clinton’s candidacy has been consistent, while Donald Trump is sinking fast with his supporters.

Here is the new look enthusiasm gap:

Enthusiasm for Trump has fallen from a high of 91% among his supporters to a new low of 79%. Hillary Clinton is moving in the opposite direction. As one would suspect with campaigns that are winning, enthusiasm for Clinton has maintained a steady pace with small upward growth.

Some supporters have likely abandoned Trump due to the growing number of sexual assault allegations against the candidate, but his supporters are very loyal and tend to dismiss any bad news about their candidate.

A potential explanation for the shift in enthusiasm is that Trump’s ranting about the election being rigged is backfiring and depressing his turnout. Why should a supporter vote for Donald Trump if the election is rigged and he is going to lose no matter what?

By raving on a daily basis about how the election is rigged against him, Donald Trump is giving his supporters a reason not to come out and vote.

One gets the sense that Trump is more interested in soothing his battered ego than he is in winning the election. Trump doesn’t care if claims that the election is rigged depress down ballot turnout for Republican candidates. Trump will never do the right thing for his party. It is all about what makes Trump feel better, and screaming that it is all rigged, like an 8-year-old might at his or her video game, makes Trump feel good.

Trump tried to fire up his own supporters with paranoid rants about the fix being in, but instead, he may be paving the way for a larger Hillary Clinton victory in November.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association