CNN data reporter admits Trump can beat Harris, notes it's the closest race in modern history

 September 7, 2024

The upcoming presidential election is now predicted to be one of the closest matchups in modern U.S. history.

According to CNN senior data reporter Harry Enten, the battle between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will be so close that it could be decided by a matter of a single point, Fox News reports.

In a Friday interview with CNN's John Berman, Enten explained why the data now shows that the race could be decided by one point.

He also noted that if Trump simply outperforms his current numbers by a single point, he'll win the White House in November. He simulated the possibility to show Berman.

"Look at this. If Trump outperforms his current polls by just a single point, you take that Kamala Harris win and -- look at this -- Donald Trump gets 287 electoral votes," Enten said.

"We‘re talking about the closest campaign in a generation where a single point could make all the difference in the world," Enten told Berman.

He added, "John, this is a truly exciting race right now, where any slight movement can make all the difference."

Notably, Enten pointed first to the rarity of the situation, noting that in the past 60 years, no election has been this close according to the polling data. Within that time frame, there's always been at least a three-week period where at least one candidate held a five-point lead on their opponent.

"How many days have we had this campaign, where one candidate was ahead by at least five points nationally? Look at this. Zero days, zero days. The fact is, this race has been consistently tight in a way that we have never seen before, Mr. Berman," Enten said.

In any presidential election, battleground states are named appropriately, as they often dictate the winner's path to scoring enough Electoral College votes to take the election.

Enten said this cycle's matchup is closer in battleground states than ever before.

"My goodness gracious, that is how tight we are talking right now across these seven battleground states. It is a race, Mr. Berman, that is well within the margin of error when you look across these seven key battleground states that will determine this election," Enten said.

One can only imagine the pain felt by CNN viewers as Enten explained to them that Trump has a really great chance at winning.

Only time will tell if the data rings true. Also, a lot can happen in the coming weeks.