Former CNN host Don Lemon said he was “eye-opening” at the number of voters in Democratic cities who said they would support former President Trump in the next election, primarily because of economic concerns.
“I don't know if I was surprised, but it was certainly an eye-opener to hear so many people, people of color and even women, say they support Donald Trump. I'm not so sure the polls are accurate in terms of how close they are and who supports who,” Lemon told MSNBC host Jen Psaki on Monday.
Lemon recently posted videos of conversations with voters in Atlantic City, Cleveland and Pittsburgh, asking them their opinions of President Trump and Vice President Harris while trying to protect the economy under President Biden.
He told Psaki he must correct voters who believe the “misinformation” that the economy will be better under Trump than Biden.
Current polls should give Harris supporters reason to worry about her chances of winning: Democratic strategist
Former CNN host Don Lemon spoke with black voters in Atlantic City and Pittsburgh about why they voted for former President Trump. (Screenshot/MSNBC)
“Jen, a lot of black men have told me they only support Donald Trump because he gave them a stimulus check. Trump gave them $1,200 when he was president. They somehow didn't remember that the current president also gave them a stimulus check, it just didn't have their name on it. So I've had to remind them over and over again that the check didn't come from Donald Trump, it came from a Democratic Congress,” he claimed.
When asked what those voters thought of Harris, he said the answer would vary depending on the battleground state. He argued that many “don't know her that well.”
“So I think she needs to re-introduce herself to the public. But with him, I think the public saw him as a good guy for the economy. Again, he brought money to the community and he was an ally for black people,” he continued.
“Look, I wasn't surprised. I've been in this job a long time, so I don't know where people are going to land or how they're going to vote. That's their personal right. But I think it's important that they understand, that they're well-informed as voters, that they go to the polls with some knowledge. And for all the reasons that they were telling me, all of that information was false. They didn't understand the right reasons why they should vote for him.”
Charlaman says Harris needs to answer voters' questions: “Black people don't have to 'just settle'”
Chicago's black voters told Lawrence Jones they need to hear more about both candidates' policies and platforms. (Fox News)
The former CNN host said he was “a little bit” surprised that so many black voters supported him from his conversations because he'd always thought the former president was “racist,” but at the same time, he recognized that inflation was a top concern for voters.
“Is it strange that so many African-Americans support him? A little bit. But I also think people have a tendency to romanticize the past. The economy is strong and thriving by most measures, yet people vote with prices. They vote with their wallets. So the economy may be getting better. Both could be true. The economy may be getting better, but prices are rising and people have less money and resources to pay for higher prices and to provide for their families,” he said.
Harris leads Trump nationally by just 1.5 points, according to a recent polling average from Real Clear Politics.
Since emerging as the Democratic candidate, Harris has regained some of the enthusiasm among black voters in battleground states that was lost when Biden was in the lead.
A Suffolk University/USA Today poll released Sunday found Harris leading Trump among black voters in Michigan 70% to 9% and among black voters in Pennsylvania 70% to 11%. A June poll found Biden leading Trump 54% to 15% among black voters in Michigan and only 56% to 11% among black voters in Pennsylvania.
Click here to get the FOX News app
Fox News' Michael Lee contributed to this report.
