CNN data analyst Harry Enten isn’t buying former Vice President Kamala Harris’s explanation for her decision not to run for governor of California.
On Wednesday, the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee released a statement saying she will not run for governor in 2026 to succeed Gavin Newsom, who is term-limited.
“Over the past six months, I have spent time reflecting on this moment in our nation’s history, and the best way for me to continue fighting for the American people and advancing the values and ideals I hold dear,” said the statement, which later added, “For now, my leadership – and public service – will not be in elected office.”
Appearing on CNN Saturday Morning Table for Five (yes, that’s the actual name of the show), Enten took issue with Harris’s framing, alleging that the real reason she isn’t running is bad polling.
“I just can’t possibly believe that someone who was attorney general for a good period of time, a United States senator for a good period of time, and then vice president for four years, and then ran for president, all of a sudden believes that the best way to solve it is from being outside the system?” Enten said. “Oh, please! Not a chance on God’s green Earth that that’s necessarily the case.”
Enten went on to say that Harris likely saw her
“What’s probably going on is she saw what the polling numbers were, perhaps, running for governor of California,” he said. “I’ve looked at those numbers. She would be the weakest frontrunner since 1992. So the bottom line is this. She’s looking at the numbers. She knows what’s cooking. And then all of a sudden, you know what? Actually, this lifelong politician, ‘I want to be outside the system.’ Give me a break.”
A University of California, Irvine poll released last month showed Harris leading a hypothetical matchup against an unnamed Republican, but just 41% of those polled said they would vote for her.
Watch above via CNN.