CNN’s Harry Enten Explains Why a Trump-Biden Race Would Be a Nail-Biter: ‘Not Ethical’ vs. ‘Too Old’

Jennifer Bowers BahneyFeb 23rd, 2024, 4:38 pm

CNN’s Harry Enten broke down the hard numbers to explain why a 2024 presidential race between Donald Trump and Joe Biden will be a nail-biter to the end.

Enten gave the rundown on the extremely slim polling margins between the two candidates, prompting anchor Boris Sanchez to ask, “So when you look at the polling, what does it say about why this race is so close?”

“I would really go down to, it’s not the strength of the two major potential major party candidates, it’s the weaknesses,” Enten said, continuing:

So, Biden and Trump’s big weaknesses. Trump is not ethical according to a recent Quinnipiac University poll. Sixty-eight percent, more than two-thirds of the voters, said that Trump is not ethical. But Joe Biden has his own problems, right? Biden’s too old to effectively serve another term. Look at this, 67%!

And, so, voters are kind of weighing this in their minds — two candidates that they certainly don’t adore. And they’re kind of going back, “Which is the negative that’s more of a negative and makes me, forces me to vote for the other guy at this point?” At this point, two-thirds of the voters say Trump is not ethical. Two-thirds of voters say Biden’s too old to serve another term. And voters are weighing that in this particular point, what that’s leading to is a very, very tight race with, as we’ve said, multiple times, no clear leader.

Despite the polling showing that age is a factor, Biden at 81 is just four years older than Trump, and both candidates have had their share of notable verbal gaffes leading to questions of mental acuity. Biden’s approval rating continues to hover around 40%, something Fox News called “near-Carter levels,” alluding to one-term President Jimmy Carter.

Biden handily won the Democratic primary in South Carolina with 96% of the vote earlier this month. The Republican primary takes place this weekend with former Gov. Nikki Haley (R-SC) the clear underdog to Trump.

Watch the clip above via CNN.