Fake News: CNN discredits own poll showing positive response to Trump’s SOTU
Another shocking example of the liberal bias at CNN against President Trump came last night as the network began analysis of their polling on State of the Union address, showing a strong positive response, but attacked it immediately.
Host Wolf Blitzer prefaced the segment with “give us the explanation that this is not necessarily a national poll” setting up this critique: “It’s not representative of the country overall it is a poll of people who watched the speech. Well, who watches a State of the Union address? Fans of the person giving it,” declared Political Director David Chalian.
Later he added: “He’s getting a very good response from people who are inclined to like him. When your poll numbers are hovering between 35 and 40 percent nationally, obviously looking at a poll that says 48 percent very positive, 22 percent somewhat positive, you’re going to like those numbers a lot better over national numbers.”
The Very Positive (48%) and Somewhat positive (22%) totaled 70% to the Negative of 29%.
Full transcript below.
photo/ Gordon Johnson
TRANSCRIPT VIA NEWSBUSTERS:
WOLF BLITZER: Welcome back. We’re now getting the first results of our instant poll of people who actually watched the President’s speech. David Chalian our political director is here, give us the numbers and give us the explanation that this is not necessarily a national poll.
DAVID CHALIAN: Well, it’s not. It’s not representative of the country overall it is a poll of people who watched the speech. Well, who watches a State of the Union address? Fans of the person giving it. So it is definitely an audience that skews a little bit more towards Republicans than Democrats in the Obama years it was the reverse.
Here’s what we found out. 48 percent of those who watched the speech tonight had a very positive reaction to the speech. 22 percent, somewhat positive. 29 percent, negative. Last year when the President gave a speech, that 48 percent was 57 percent. So he did late worse this year than last year, but still obviously a very positive reaction from speech watchers.
How about will his policies move the country in the right direction or the wrong direction? 62 percent of speech watchers tonight say that Donald Trump’s policies, as laid out tonight, will move the country in the right direction. And, of course, we also asked about confidence in Donald Trump’s ability to carry out his duties as president. As you can see, among those watching the speech tonight, 42 percent very confident, 15 percent somewhat confident, and 43 percent not confident that he has the ability to carry out his duties.
BLITZER: How does this compare historically with other presidents?
CHALIAN: So, here’s an interesting statistic. We went back to look at the State of the Union address at the beginning of a midterm election year where the president’s party was facing a lot of headwinds. Take a look at this. 48 percent very positive reaction across the board. Barack Obama at the beginning of 2010, he had 48 percent very positive reaction. George W. Bush at the beginning of 2006, in his second midterms, 48 percent, very positive. As you know, those midterm elections did not go well for Bush or Obama. Donald Trump, the same place tonight, 48 percent, very positive in the reaction from speech watchers.
BLITZER: But if the President looks at these numbers of people who actually watched the speech and there were more Republicans who watched than Democrats, he’s clearly going to be pleased.
CHALIAN: Well, there’s no doubt about it. He’s getting a very good response from people who are inclined to like him. When your poll numbers are hovering between 35 and 40 percent nationally, obviously looking at a poll that says 48 percent very positive, 22 percent somewhat positive, you’re going to like those numbers a lot better over national numbers.
I am among the very positive