The Chair of the Republican National Committee has dismissed polls showing Donald Trump losing by claiming that Republican voters don’t answer them anyway.
Ronna McDaniel told Fox News on Monday that members of her party don’t respond to polls any more, implying that no polls can be trusted because of the lack of Trump supporters answering them.
“And the other thing that I think is critical to point out about these polls is that Republicans are no longer responding to these polls,” McDaniel said.
Her decision to make this claim is odd. A moment before undermining polls, she accepted poll findings showing former Vice President Joe Biden has an enthusiasm gap.
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
Watch the video:
Fox & Friends asks the RNC chair about some of the only polling favorable for Trump, showing an enthusiasm gap for Trump in some battleground states — while others are neck-and-neck. Ronna McDaniel downplays it all by claiming that Republicans don't reply to polls anymore. pic.twitter.com/iHcSE84dRr
— Bobby Lewis (@revrrlewis) July 27, 2020
McDaniel justified her claim by pointing to a survey by the conservative Cato Institute – apparently using a poll to explain why polls are inaccurate.
“There was was a Cato Institute survey showing 62% of Americans are not going to share their political beliefs anymore because of the situation we have in this country,” she said.
Supporters of President Trump have repeatedly pointed to this survey as evidence of a shy Republican vote. However, Cato is a conservative organization and their findings don’t appear to support that conclusion.
McDaniel is echoing the President’s own claims that polls are fake – something which could become a larger issue in a close race this November.
Follow Darragh Roche on Twitter
Darragh Roche is a journalist covering U.S. politics and media
