Donald Trump bashed Fox News, claiming that it is working with other Republican candidates to figure out who can beat him in the GOP primary.
The former president took to Truth Social to say that the network is “going all out, just as they did in 2016, to figure who in this very large, but failing Republican field, can beat your favorite President, Donald John Trump”.
“They use only the most negative polls, which are still great for me, and do everything possible to show that they still have a chance,” he added. “They even pull out nice guy Marc Thiessen to do contortions with numbers that just don’t exist. On top of all that, I am the only one beating, by a lot, Crooked Joe Biden, the WORST ‘P’ EVER!”
Mr. Thiessen, a Washington Post columnist, Fox News commentator, and former White House director of speechwriting under George W Bush, wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday that “64 per cent of Americans say they definitely or probably will not vote for Trump in 2024 (53 per cent definitely + 11 per cent probably). Like watching a slow-moving train wreck for the GOP”.
64% of Americans say they definitely or probably will not vote for Trump in 2024 (53% definitely + 11% probably).
Like watching a slow moving train wreck for the GOP. https://t.co/lyF7RJ1Rwa
— Marc Thiessen 🇺🇸❤️🇺🇦&🇹🇼 (@marcthiessen) August 16, 2023
He was referring to reporting and polling by the Associated Press outlining Mr. Trump’s steadfast and growing support within the Republican Party but declining ratings with the general electorate.
A number of Republicans have argued that the party must choose a new standard-bearer as Mr. Trump’s standing with the public at large has only gotten worse since the 2020 election following the Capitol riot and the chaos around him, specifically in connection to his mounting legal problems and the litany of felony charges he faces.
Anti-Trump Republican strategist Sarah Longwell told the AP: “There is a meaningful number of voters who have voted for Trump twice and can’t vote for him again after all of this.”
Comparatively, according to the polling from The Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 43 per cent said they definitely wouldn’t vote for President Joe Biden, in addition to 11 per cent who said they probably wouldn’t.
“Trump needs to embody the voters’ grievances and not his own grievances,” Ms Longwell added. “Anytime he’s talking about 2020 he’s looking backwards and the voters get more excited about looking forward.”
CPAC chair Matt Schlapp responded to Mr Thiessen on X, saying: “I love you @marcthiessen. You are a good man. Stop this. Trump has to be the nominee because we have to take it all down. It’s that bad and no one else will be able to do it.”
I love you @marcthiessen. You are a good man. Stop this. Trump has to be the nominee because we have to take it all down. It’s that bad and no one else will be able to do it. https://t.co/f2yt2CfXwo
— Matt Schlapp (@mschlapp) August 16, 2023
Historian Aaron Aster wrote, “The key item in this poll is that 53% will ‘definitely not’ vote for Trump. 43% will ‘definitely not’ vote for Biden. (10-11% ‘probably’ won’t vote for each, respectively). The ‘definitely’ numbers are more important at this stage bc they set the parameters of possible outcomes.”
The key item in this poll is that 53% will "definitely not" vote for Trump. 43% will "definitely not" vote for Biden. (10-11% "probably" won't vote for each, respectively). The "definitely" numbers are more important at this stage bc they set the parameters of possible outcomes. https://t.co/hDAOrJfp04
— Aaron Astor (@AstorAaron) August 16, 2023
While he added that “early General Election polling is mostly hot garbage because lots of people pay little attention at this point,” he noted that “the ‘definite’ numbers are more likely to pick up the hard ceiling. Yes, those numbers can change a bit too. But in this case they reflect hardening among Independents against Trump – and a small but decisive group of non-Trump GOPers. And less hard-core anti-Biden among Dems”.
Early General Election polling is mostly hot garbage bc lots of people pay little attention at this point. Plus, a lot of people really want a different candidate nominated for their party – if they vote at all in the end. The H2H polls measure that mush in the "probable" group.
— Aaron Astor (@AstorAaron) August 16, 2023
But the "definite" numbers are more likely to pick up the hard ceiling. Yes, those numbers can change a bit too. But in this case they reflect hardening among Independents against Trump -and a small but decisive group of non-Trump GOPers. And less hard-core anti-Biden among Dems.
— Aaron Astor (@AstorAaron) August 16, 2023
“A lot of people who really don’t want to vote for Biden but despise Trump will likely vote Biden in the end,” the historian speculated.
Basically, Biden's approvals are weak and H2H numbers are blah. But the intensity of opposition to him is nothing like it is toward Trump – or was toward HRC in 2016. So a lot of people who really don't want to vote for Biden but despise Trump will likely vote Biden in the end.
— Aaron Astor (@AstorAaron) August 16, 2023
