Mitch Landrieu, the co-chair of President Biden’s campaign, pushed back on recent polling that shows former President Trump doing well with Black voters, saying that there is “no universe” where he will win 21 percent of the demographic’s vote in November.
“There’s no universe in which Donald Trump is going to get 21 percent of the Black vote,” Landrieu said during an appearance on CNN. “That’s never going to happen. And so it’s not that we’re not worried about that, but we’re fighting very, very hard for every vote.”
Landrieu was reacting to CNN senior data reporter Harry Enten, who reported the figure based on an aggregate of polling data.
“The records of each of these men is clear in this regard. Polling is always important. But it is true and I think you guys have to recognize that, it has been vastly wrong for a lot of time, especially in the recent past,” Landrieu said.
Both Biden’s and Trump’s campaigns have stepped up efforts in recent weeks to get their messages out to Black voters. This comes as multiple polls have shown Biden’s support among Black voters could be shrinking ahead of November’s election.
The Biden campaign recently launched Black Voters for Biden-Harris, an initiative to mobilize support in the Black community for the president. Biden has tried to paint himself as a contrast to Trump to Black voters, arguing last month that the former president was “pandering and peddling lies and stereotypes” for their vote.
Trump has also tried to appeal to Black voters by making a trip to the South Bronx last month and by speaking to supporters in Detroit over the weekend. He also launched a coalition targeting Black Americans over the weekend as he made his pitch to the voters.
A poll from The New York Times/Siena College/Philadelphia Inquirer, released last month, suggested that Biden’s support among Black voters could be falling. Biden still led Trump among Black voters with 63 percent support to 23 percent, but this is down from the 87 percent of Black voters who backed Biden in 2020.
The Hill has reached out to Trump’s campaign for comment.
