CNN anchor Anderson Cooper acknowledged that it was hard to trust election polls because they underestimated former President Trump's approval rating in the 2016 and 2020 elections.
Cooper was a guest on “Late Night with Stephen Colbert” on Thursday, where Colbert asked him what he thought about 2024 polls showing Vice President Kamala Harris' approval rating increasing after last week's presidential debate.
The latest national poll from Fox News puts Harris ahead of Trump by two points.
After the debate, Harris held a 3-point lead over Trump in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania, according to a USA Today/Suffolk University poll conducted Sept. 11-14.
A Fox News poll put Vice President Kamala Harris ahead of former President Trump by two points.
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But Cooper said he was skeptical of polls because “Trump has traditionally underperformed in the polls.”
“I mean, I cover polls and I think polls are interesting to talk about and to look at, especially when you dig deep into certain topics,” he continued. “There are some really good people who look at polls, but I think, really, deep down, I don't believe in polls.”
“Some of that is accurate, and I'm not being disparaging,” Cooper said, holding up his hands, as Colbert laughed.
“To me, it's baby pigeons,” Cooper joked. “They exist. [but] I have never seen them.”
CNN host Anderson Cooper admitted he's not sure he'll believe polls in 2024 after they underestimated former President Trump in the 2016 and 2020 election cycles. (CNN/Screenshot)
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Some voters and media analysts have argued that Harris won the debate, but it is unclear whether that will affect the outcome of the election.
A national poll released Tuesday by Monmouth University found that just 3% of debate viewers said the face-off had made them reconsider their support for either Harris or Trump.
Harris has seen her popularity soar among voters since she entered the presidential race, according to CNN data reporter Harry Enten.
When Harris entered the race in July, her net favorability rating was minus 14 points, Enten reported Wednesday. As of Sept. 18, her favorability rating was plus one point, while former President Trump's favorability rating was minus nine points, Enten said.
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Pollster Nate Silver also warned voters on Fox News last month that past polls had underestimated Trump.
“But people should remember two things,” he said. “One, we've got three months left. There will be more surprises. And two, polls have been wrong before. In the last two general elections, polls have underestimated Trump.”
Fox News' Hannah Panrec contributed to this report.
