Donald Trump On Why ‘Phony Polls’ Bother Him: ‘I Like The Truth’
In an interview with George Stephanoupolos on ABC on Thursday, President Donald Trump slammed once again the “phony polls” which show him losing the 2020 election, Mediaite reports.
Stephanoupolos pointed out that 15 out of 17 state polls suggest that Trump will lose in 2020, prompting the president to dismiss the polling as “phony,” much like he did in a series of Twitter messages posted on Wednesday.
“The Fake News has never been more dishonest than it is today. Thank goodness we can fight back on Social Media. Their new weapon of choice is Fake Polling, sometimes referred to as Suppression Polls (they suppress the numbers). Had it in 2016, but this is worse,” the president wrote on Twitter.
“Why does it bother you so much?” Stephanoupolos asked, seemingly noticing that the president is upset with what the polling says.
“Because it’s untrue,” Trump responded.
“I like the truth. You know, I’m actually a very honest guy.”
As Mediaite notes, the back and forth between Stephanoupolos and Trump is just one of the viral moments from ABC’s interview with the president, largely due to the fact that the host received “remarkable access” to the White House. He discussed numerous important issues with the commander-in-chief in what appears to have been an exceptionally candid interview.
During the interview, Trump also said that he would accept information about a political rival even if it came from a foreign source, such as Russia, prompting widespread outrage and criticism.
As The New York Post reported, even Republican Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally known for publicly defending the president, described the comments as a “mistake,” stating that “no” is the right answer when a foreign actor offers damaging information about a political opponent. Trump subsequently doubled down, seemingly drawing a parallel between election interference and regular diplomacy.
Romney slams Trump: "Unthinkable" for presidential candidate to accept dirt from foreign government https://t.co/Q12HIYebQ9 pic.twitter.com/WJal7OI79c
— The Hill (@thehill) June 13, 2019
Trump said that he talks to foreign governments “every day,” adding: “Should I immediately call the FBI about these calls and meetings? How ridiculous!”
Whether or not a foreign entity will offer Trump dirt on a political opponent is anybody’s guess, but the polls Stephanoupolos reminded the president of are predicting that he will not be re-elected. As Axios reported, polling suggests that six Democrats running for president would beat Trump in 2020.
Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg, and Corey Booker would all beat Trump, according to a new Quinnipiac University national poll.
"I don't believe those polls. There's no way [former Vice Pres. Joe Biden] beats me in Texas," Pres. Trump told @ABC News' @GStephanopoulos during an exclusive interview. "No, my polls show that I'm winning everywhere." https://t.co/opuz0cyE7o pic.twitter.com/lM9Su9dE1u
— ABC News (@ABC) June 13, 2019
Some data suggests that Trump’s chances are much higher, however. In an op-ed penned for The New York Times, Steven Rattner, who served as counselor to the Treasury secretary in the Obama administration, warned that numerous reliable election models predict a Trump victory in 2020.
