CNN’s Michael Smerconish opened Saturday by looking at a possible dire outcome for 2020: Donald Trump loses the popular vote by 5 million votes and still wins the presidency.
Smerconish said it certainly seems like the Democrats may be well-positioned for 2020, but it’s not a sure thing. There’s been a lot of consternation in the Democratic party about who’s best positioned to defeat Trump.
But it was something Trump said to Time Magazine that got Smerconish’s attention: when asked if he needs to win swing voters, he responded, “I think my base is so strong, I’m not sure that I have to do that.”
Several potential 2020 scenarios have been raised already, the “nightmare scenario” being one where Trump wins by just one electoral vote.
That nightmare scenario was shared by the Cook Political Report’s David Wasserman, who told Smerconish today, “He could lose by 5 million votes in the popular vote in 2020 and still win. And the reason is that his demographic groups where he’s uniquely unpopular tend to be concentrated in states that aren’t decisive in the Electoral College.”
Smerconish asked if Trump may be right about being able to win with just his base.
Wasserman said Trump has a “narrow route to reelection” and can afford to lose maybe Michigan and Pennsylvania as long as he wins Florida, adding, “
You can watch above, via CNN.