Trump Dismisses Unfavorable Polls, Claims Approval of '60'
The former president challenged the accuracy of approval ratings, asserting his own popularity.
Former President Donald Trump has contested his reported approval ratings, describing them as "fake" and suggesting his actual approval stands at 60%, according to an interview with The Washington Examiner.
Trump specifically dismissed a RealClearPolitics poll average that placed his approval at 38.8%. He attributed his skepticism to past instances where polling data, including that from Wedgewood Polls, was found to be fabricated, despite The New York Times, which had included some of that data, clarifying it was not used in its approval metrics.
"It's fake," Trump told the Examiner. "It's fake."
When asked to provide his own estimate of his approval rating, Trump stated, "I don't believe I could be beaten by anybody." He then claimed, "I think that if I needed it, which I don't, I think 60."
The RealClearPolitics average aggregates data from numerous outlets, including Rasmussen Reports, Economist/YouGov, Reuters/Ipsos, ABC/The Washington Post/Ipsos, CNN, CNBC, ABC, The New York Times, and Fox News. The current average shows a net disapproval rating of 60.4% for the president.
Trump also referenced a September clip from CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten, which noted Trump won 99% of the "MAGA GOP vote" in a hypothetical 2024 election against Kamala Harris. Trump commented, "If CNN keeps doing those polls, I'll like them more and more."