CNN’s John Berman Says Trump Challenge More Difficult as Joe Biden Hits 2.6 Million-Vote Lead in Popular Vote

CNN anchor John Berman predicted that former Vice President Joe Biden’s mounting popular vote lead — currently at 2.6 million votes — will make it difficult for President Donald Trump to mount a successful challenge to a narrow Biden Electoral College victory.

On Wednesday morning’s edition of CNN’s new day, Berman declared a “key race alert” of a different sort.

“This is an interesting key race alert. I’m at the magic wall with Phil Mattingly, and this is a race, and forgive me, that doesn’t actually matter,” Berman said, adding “At least not directly.”

“I’m talking about the popular vote,” Berman said, and explained “Because of our founding fathers we don’t actually elect our presidents through the popular vote. They set up the Electoral College.”

“Where is the popular vote nevertheless?” he asked Mattingly.

“Right now, popular vote, Joe Biden over 50%, about 2.6 million votes ahead,” Mattingly said, noting that “there’s a lot more vote to come in” in states like California and New York.

“This is roughly where it was with Hillary Clinton, Hillary Clinton won the popular vote roughly by that, two and a half million roughly,” Berman said, and predicted Biden’s popular lead could reach “up to 4, 5 million.”

“Doesn’t matter in the outcome but I will tell you one way it might matter,” Berman said. “Because if somehow Joe Biden squeaks out of victory and if the margin in the electoral college is close, you may hear challenges from President Trump to the legitimacy there. It’s harder to challenge that legitimacy with a narrow electoral college win if Joe Biden is also leading by five or six million in the popular vote. It’s a harder case to make, doesn’t mean the Donald Trump won’t make it, but it might be a harder case to make.”

Watch the clip above via CNN.