Trump’s Elections Pitch Adds To ‘Deepening’ Distrust With Key Group, CNN’s Harry Enten Says

CNN data chief Harry Enten on Wednesday said a majority of Americans don’t believe President Donald Trump is committed to free and fair elections following his call for the federal government to take over voting operations in several states.

“This idea that you’re going to take local power away and give it to the federal government is a terrible idea for the American people,” said Enten, citing polling that found just 22% of those have a favourable view of the federal government.

In remarks from the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump expanded on his call to nationalise the vote, stressing that the federal government should intervene to control elections in some states and cities, directly contending with the US Constitution.

Enten, pointing to an ABC News/Washington Post poll from October, noted that 56% of all US adults indicated that Trump isn’t devoted to free and fair elections, adding that the figure is “even worse” among independents (65%).

“This is a group that Donald Trump has really been struggling with,” Enten said of independents.

He continued, “And this, of course, just builds upon their continuing distrust and their deepening distrust of Donald Trump when it comes to his job for the president overall, and specifically to this question when it comes to his commitment to free and fair elections.”

Later in the segment, Enten noted that a majority of Americans told Pew Research Center that the 2024 elections were “run very well” in their community (69%), more than those who said the same about US elections (43%).

“Donald Trump has flipped a lot of things on its head. But on this particular issue, the American people are most certainly not with him,” he concluded.