Fox News chief political analyst Brit Hume said Sunday that former President Trump could win the November election but that voter aversion to him means he’s “not the majority candidate.”
Asked on “Fox News Sunday” why Trump was struggling to maintain his lead over Vice President Harris despite polls showing a majority of voters are dissatisfied with the state of the country, Hume replied: “It’s Trump.”
“At the end of the day, the last eight to 10 years have been about Donald Trump. Everything has been about Donald Trump,” he continued. “I don’t think Democrats would have gotten Joe Biden this far if they hadn’t. If the party was convinced that the Republican Party would nominate Donald Trump again, and they did.”
Trump’s lead in the 2024 presidential race has narrowed in recent weeks following Vice President Harris’ entry into the Democratic presidential race.
Mr Hume argued that while Mr Trump has a “very strong, solid base of support”, his approval rating will never rise above 40-45 per cent.
“His weaknesses have been the premise of our politics for the last three elections,” Hume said. “He’s been able to overcome them. [former Secretary] Hillary Clinton was the most unpopular candidate by a long way, but she couldn’t beat Biden. And when you look at the losses in the midterms, or the disappointing results in the midterms, it’s all about one thing.”
Ultimately, Hume said, the enthusiasm felt among his supporters may not be enough to make him the “majority candidate.”
“Donald Trump, no matter how enthusiastic his supporters are, is not a majority candidate. He may win, but he is not a majority candidate,” he said.
Since succeeding President Biden last month, Harris has quickly consolidated her Democratic support, with numerous national and battleground state polls showing her narrowing her lead over Trump. According to The Hill/Decision Desk national polling average, which compiles 120 polls, Harris leads Trump by 1.8 percentage points.
Political observers have suggested Ms Harris’ rise in support could be due to a variety of factors, including renewed support for Mr Biden and Mr Trump’s personalities and tendency to resort to insulting rhetoric after weeks of turmoil.
Trump, known for his bold statements, has faced growing pressure from Republican lawmakers to focus his comments on policy differences with Harris rather than personal attacks.
As Harris’ approval rating has risen, the former president has repeatedly slammed her, calling her “incompetent” and even questioning her racial identity.
Trump has downplayed the surge in support for Harris, suggesting the “honeymoon” phase would be over.
