Fox News host Shannon Bream confronted former President Donald Trump's campaign adviser, Corey Lewandowski, with polls favoring Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, on Sunday.
On Fox News Sunday, Bream said that support for Harris has shifted in her favor in battleground states, citing Fox News' own polls. She also mentioned a USA Today report that explained how Harris' small national lead over Trump, the GOP presidential nominee, is being driven by key demographic groups such as Hispanic and Black voters as well as young people and those with annual incomes less than $20,000.
"How do you turn around the momentum? Do you have time?" Bream asked Lewandowski.
"At this point in the race in 2016, Donald Trump was down to [former Secretary of State] Hillary Clinton by an average of 5.9. At this point in the race in 2020, it was 6.9 to Joe Biden," Lewandowski said. "Today, if you look at the Rasmussen poll, Trump has a 4-point lead. We're in the strongest position we've ever been at this point in the race."
A poll from Rasmussen Reports conducted on August 8 and August 11 to 14 had Trump leading Harris 49 to 45 percent among 1,885 U.S. likely voters. The poll's margin of error was plus or minus 2 percentage points.
However, since then, Trump's lead decreased. A Rasmussen Reports poll conducted on August 22 and August 25 to 28 found Trump with a two-point lead over Harris (48 to 46 percent). The poll surveyed 1,893 U.S. likely voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
"We have an incredible ground game operation, which is running in our battleground states. We have a candidate who's willing to work 24 hours a day on behalf of the American people. And we feel very good about what our message is, which is economic freedom and economic opportunity for everybody...," Lewandowski told Bream on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Steven Cheung, Trump's communications director, told Newsweek via email on Sunday morning, "Polling shows [former] President Trump is dominating both nationally and in the battleground states because voters want a return to pro-America policies that actually work, not radical policies of Comrade Kamala."
Newsweek has reached out to Harris' campaign via email on Sunday afternoon.
Lewandowski was Trump's campaign manager in 2016 until he was fired by Trump before the election was over. After a Republican donor accused Lewandowski of sexually harassing her at a charity dinner in 2021, which his lawyer refused to dignify, a Trump spokesperson said Lewandowski "will no longer be associated with Trump World." Lewandowski, however, did make it back to Trump's orbit in this election cycle.
How Are the Nominees Doing in Swing States?
In a Fox News poll conducted from August 23 to 26, Harris is ahead of Trump by 1 point in Arizona (50 to 49 percent), 2 points in Georgia (50 to 48 percent), 2 points in Nevada (50 to 48 percent) and 1 point in North Carolina (50 to 49 percent). In each state, 1,000 registered voters were surveyed and the margin of error was plus or minus 3 percentage points.
The Silver Bulletin Presidential Model, which analyzes the nominees' polling averages and was last updated on Saturday afternoon, has Harris leading Trump by 0.9 points in Georgia (48.3 to 47.4 percent) and by 0.9 points in Nevada (48.6 to 47.7 percent). Meanwhile, Trump is ahead of Harris by 0.4 points in North Carolina (48.4 to 48 percent) and by 0.6 points in Arizona (48.5 to 47.9 percent).
What Do Other National Polls Show?
The USA Today reporting that Bream mentioned on Fox News Sunday was based on a new USA Today/Suffolk University poll, which found Harris ahead of Trump by 5 points (48 to 43 percent). The poll surveyed 1,000 likely voters from August 25 to 28 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
Harris is also leading Trump in an ABC News/Ipsos poll conducted from August 23 to 27. The vice president has 50 percent of voter support while Trump has 46 percent. The poll has a sample of 2,496 adults and a margin of error is plus or minus 2 percentage points.
In the Silver Bulletin Presidential Model, Harris has a national lead of 3.5 points over Trump (49.1 to 45.6 percent).
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About the writer
Rachel Dobkin is a Newsweek reporter based in New York. Her focus is reporting on politics. Rachel joined Newsweek in ... Read more
