Fox News host Sean Hannity publicly cast doubt on his network's polling unit Tuesday, during a live television segment discussing the upcoming midterm elections. The exchange occurred as former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio cited Fox News polling data to support his predictions about Democratic victories.
De Blasio named five key Democrats he believed would win their races, including James Talarico, the Democratic candidate in Texas's attorney general race. Talarico is running against incumbent Ken Paxton, who has faced numerous controversies. De Blasio pointed to a Fox News poll, which showed Talarico leading Paxton 51-48, as evidence for his prediction.
Hannity dismissed the poll, stating, "I don't believe it for two seconds." The poll, which was released the previous week, was one of several in recent weeks suggesting Talarico had an edge over Paxton in the deeply Republican state. Democrats have not won a statewide race in Texas in decades.
The conversation touched upon the broader midterm election landscape, with Democrats widely expected to regain control of the House of Representatives. While the Senate map has been seen as more favorable to Republicans, recent polling has indicated potential gains for Democrats, with a victory in a race like Talarico's in Texas being considered crucial for those chances.