While Donald Trump is basking in his election victory, famous pollster Ann Selzer, who caused a media firestorm with her data showing Kamala Harris lead, is now reviewing where she went wrong, according to the Des Moines Register. After the former president won back the White House, Selzer has vowed to review her data and thinks that it was her wrong Iowa poll that actually helped Trump win the 2024 elections.
Selzer, who conducted the Iowa poll, weighed in, “Without fear or favour, we used the same method as the final poll this year to show a healthy Trump lead in both 2020 and 2016.” She also clarified the accusations of being bribed, “In response to a critique that I ‘manipulated’ the data or had been paid, I told more than one news outlet that the findings from this last poll could actually energize and activate Republican voters who thought they would likely coast to victory,” adding, “Maybe that’s what happened,” as per The Independent.
Iowa Poll: Democrats are preferred over Republicans in 2 of 4 congressional districts https://t.co/G1P64PcSrH
— Des Moines Register (@DMRegister) November 3, 2024
The Iowa poll released on Saturday, November 2 showed Harris having a three percent lead over Trump. Since Iowa had never been a swing state, Selzer, owner of the president of Selzer & Co, declared that the VP is in a “leading position” ahead of the election day. The media went crazy and the likes of MSNBC, CNN, and ABC’s daytime talk show The View began celebrating the poll results favouring Harris.
Rachel Maddow reports on the “shock result” of the Des Moines Register poll showing Kamala Harris now leading Donald Trump in deep-red Iowa. Maddow reports on why this poll is the “gold standard” and what it could mean for other states. pic.twitter.com/x0Dknza7Le
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) November 4, 2024
MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow gushed, “If this is accurate, and if anybody is accurate, it’s likely to be Ann Selzer in the Iowa poll, if this is accurate it implies that Harris might be winning Iowa,” per New York Post . In addition, The View’s all-female panelists declared Selzer “always right” and labeled her track record as “incredibly solid.” Until Trump secured a resounding victory.
Marking Nov. 5, 2024 as the day Ann Selzer’s aura of infallibility was shattered. Here’s why: pic.twitter.com/mVj1sZA5Vc
— Alex Latcham (@Alex_Latcham_) November 3, 2024
The tables turned and Trump supporters began to question Selzer’s accuracy. For instance, Alex Latchman, Deputy Political Director, said in a statement, “Congratulations to Donald J. Trump and J.D. Vance on their victory. After four years under Kamala Harris, Hawkeye state voters are eager for President Trump to fix what Kamala Harris broke” like easing the cost of living, securing borders , and “protect Social Security for retirees like Ann Selzer.” Meanwhile, Trump’s co-campaign manager, Chris LaCivita, mocked Selzer and her inaccurate poll in just two words on X, formerly Twitter, “Enjoy retirement.”
Enjoy retirement… pic.twitter.com/W7EmAhGzLO
— Chris LaCivita (@LaCivitaC) November 6, 2024
Media humiliation prompted Selzer to speak in her defense in a statement, saying, “Tonight, I’m of course thinking about how we got where we are. The poll findings we produced for The Des Moines Register and Mediacom did not match what the Iowa electorate ultimately decided in the voting booth today,” vowing to “review data from multiple sources.”
Take a bow, Ann Selzer. You were only off by 17 points! If you touted this poll or mocked me for questioning it, have a great week! pic.twitter.com/HEMys9OCWb
— Joe Concha (@JoeConchaTV) November 6, 2024
But the backlash continued with Fox News contributor, Joe Concha, saying, “Take a bow, Ann Selzer. You were only off by 17 points! If you touted this poll or mocked me for questioning it, have a great week!” Assistant News Director to Florida News, Eric Daugherty, echoed , “Ann Selzer and The Des Moines register should never be taken seriously again.”