While speaking on Fox News this Sunday, Senator JD Vance (R-Ohio), the Republican vice-presidential nominee, expressed skepticism regarding the reliability of current political polls. In his conversation with host Shannon Bream on “Fox News Sunday,” Vance articulated a commonly held belief within his party—that polls are frequently used to dampen Republican turnout and foster discord among its voters.
Vance cited past elections to support his claims, “Consistently, what you’ve seen in 2016 and 2020 is that the media uses fake polls to drive down Republican turnout and to create dissension and conflict with Republican voters,” he stated. This perspective reflects a broader mistrust among some Republicans towards mainstream media polling techniques and results.
Current Election Polls
When Shannon Bream presented recent findings from a New York Times/Siena poll, Vance was quick to criticize these results as being biased, suggesting that such surveys “tend to radically overstate Democrats.” He further contested the rising support for Vice President Kamala Harris, describing it as a “sugar high,” implying that it was temporary and not a true reflection of voter sentiment.
Vance contrasted public polls with those conducted internally by the Trump campaign, which he claimed showed that the enthusiasm for Harris was “leveling off.” He argued, “If you talk to insiders in the Kamala Harris campaign, they are very worried about where they are because the American people just don’t buy the idea that Kamala Harris, who has been vice president for 3 1/2 years, is somehow going to tackle the inflation crisis in a way tomorrow that she hasn’t in the past 1,300 days.”
Public Perception
In a further discussion, Bream brought up “new numbers” from a Washington Post/ABC News poll showing Harris with a 4 to 5-point lead nationally. Vance responded by stating that Harris’ numbers were “stagnating” and criticized the Post and ABC News’ polling as “wildly inaccurate,” particularly referencing the 2020 race where President Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump.
Vance emphasized the need to focus beyond polls, advocating for voter participation, “We can’t worry about polls,” he said. “We have to run through the finish line and encourage everybody to get out there and vote.”
Vance’s Campaign Message
Vance reiterated the campaign’s message aimed at recalling the economic successes under the previous administration, “But our message is going to be very simple. If you want to get back to the peace and prosperity, the rising take-home pay, Donald Trump delivered it once, and he can do it again,” he concluded, reinforcing the campaign’s focus on returning to the policies of the Trump presidency.
Senator JD Vance’s comments reflect a strategic approach by the Trump campaign to discredit unfavorable polls while emphasizing their internal metrics and the perceived successes of Trump’s prior term. This narrative is designed to energize their base and counteract any pessimistic narratives that might affect voter turnout.
Featured image credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr
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