CNN Data Reporter Says Biden's Claim He Could Have Defeated Trump Is 'Flat-Out Bonkers'

CNN data reporter Harry Enten on Wednesday challenged President Joe Biden’s recent claim that he would have won the 2024 presidential election had he stayed in the race, characterizing the statement as “absolutely bonkers.”

In a video posted on his account on X, formerly Twitter, Enten said the numbers don’t support Biden’s thesis.

Enten noted that Biden was trailing President-elect Donald Trump in all seven key battleground states when he withdrew his candidacy, citing polling.

The CNN reporter added that voter surveys showed that Biden never ran ahead of Trump at any point over the past year.

Historical precedent also wasn’t on the president’s side, Enten said, pointing out that no incumbent with a negative net approval rating, like Biden’s, has gone on to win reelection.

“The bottom line is this: Joe Biden was behind, he had always been behind and he most likely would have stayed behind,” Enten said. “That’s why I characterize his statement that he could have won the 2024 election as flat-out bonkers.”

Biden withdrew from the race in July following pressure to step aside after his poor CNN debate performance, which fueled concerns about his age and fitness to serve another four-year term. He endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take over his bid.

In an interview with USA Today’s Susan Page published on Wednesday, though, Biden claimed he would have defeated Trump had he held on to the nomination.

“It’s presumptuous to say that, but I think yes,” Biden said.

However, he appeared less certain when asked if he would have had the stamina to do the job until January 2029, when a potential second term would have ended.

“I don’t know,” he replied. “Who the hell knows?”

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