Tapper Host Senator Murphy For Interview
During an interview over the weekend, CNN anchor Jake Tapper made a striking observation about President Joe Biden’s impact on the Democratic ticket, citing recent polling data.
Tapper’s remarks came while interviewing Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) on CNN’s “State of the Union” show, highlighting concerns over Biden’s performance in key battleground states.
“Let’s talk about the campaign, because Trump was in battleground Michigan last night making a pitch to African-American voters,” Tapper began. “Polls show Biden trailing Trump in key battleground states and polling well behind your Senate colleagues who are running for reelection.”
Tapper then presented data from a New York Times poll from the previous month. “Look at this New York Times poll from last month,” he continued. “Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin is up nine points in Wisconsin. Biden’s only up two points.
Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey up five in PA. Biden’s down three. Arizona Congressman Ruben Gallego, running for Senate in Arizona, up four, Biden down seven. Nevada Senator Jacky Rosen up two in Nevada. Biden’s down 12.”
Challenging Senator Murphy, Tapper asked, “How can you look at this, these statistics, these numbers and not conclude that Joe Biden is a drag on the ticket?”
Even @CNN can't spin Biden's polling nightmare:
TAPPER: "How can you look at these numbers and not conclude that Joe Biden is a drag on the ticket?!?" pic.twitter.com/v2zCc0NnrD
— Raj Aryal (@rajaryal07) June 16, 2024
Murphy attempted to downplay the poll's significance, suggesting that the actual election outcomes could differ and emphasizing that it was just "one poll." He argued, “There are 60 other polls that show that Joe Biden is in the lead,” but he was unable to cite any specific polls.
Tapper, undeterred, pointed out the disparity between Biden’s polling numbers and those of his Democratic colleagues. “I mean, you’re happy for your colleagues, I’m sure, but Biden is underpolling all of them,” Tapper stated.
Murphy reiterated his point, claiming the focus on a single poll was misleading and that there were many other polls showing Biden in a better position. However, his inability to provide examples of these polls weakened his argument.
With key battleground states showing Biden trailing or barely leading while other Democrats perform significantly better, the party faces a critical challenge in securing widespread voter support. As the campaign season heats up, the impact of Biden’s numbers on the overall Democratic ticket remains a focal point for both party insiders and political analysts.