CNN’s Harry Enten shocked by Trump’s ‘improvement’ in the 2024 election

CNN senior data reporter Harry Enten expressed surprise on Friday at newly elected President Donald Trump’s improved performance in the 2024 elections compared to 2020.

Trump’s 2024 victory about Vice President Kamala Harris included receiving 50.7% of the votes from nearly 73.5 million Americans as of Friday morning, according to to the Associated Press. Graftingnoted on “CNN News Central” Trump’s national gains and his increased support among demographic groups that typically vote for Democrats, which he described as remarkable for a Republican.

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“I think the breadth of improvement that Donald Trump had – holy Toledo. OK, Trump has gained ground in 49 states and the District of Columbia compared to 2020,” Enten told host Kate Bolduan. “I was looking back through the record books – when was the last time a side won in so many different places? You have to go all the way back to 1992, when Bill Clinton improved on Michael Dukakis’ performance in 49 states plus the District of Columbia.

“The bottom line is that everywhere you looked on the map, Kate Bolduan, everywhere you looked, Donald Trump improved from where he did four years ago, except in Washington state,” he continued. “It’s no wonder he currently looks like he will be the first Republican to win the popular vote since George W. Bush in 2004.”

Bolduan asked Enten about the extent to which Trump improved among certain demographic groups that “Republicans generally do not count as part of their winning coalition.”

“Again, holy Toledo. It’s just like, oh my god, gracious. These are the kind of groups that you would never have thought Donald Trump would have received so much support from when he first won against Hillary Clinton eight years ago,” the data reporter said. “Trump was the best GOP showing among 18-29 year olds in 20 years. You have to go all the way back to 2004. What about black voters? The best performance for a Republican candidate for president in 48 years since Gerald Ford in 1976.”

“And among Hispanic voters, exit polls only go back to 1972, but Donald Trump’s performance on Tuesday was the best for a Republican presidential candidate in the history of exit polls. He literally goes all the way back through history and breaks history. This is what we’re talking about, Kate Bolduan, groups where you never thought Donald Trump would do well among them, even for a Republican candidate, that’s what he did,” he added. “If the 2016 election was about Donald Trump breaking with white working-class voters, this election was about breaking the Democratic coalition, tearing it apart.”

Vaccinations on Wednesday too expressed shock at Trump’s gains among rural voters.

“We knew Donald Trump would do well with rural voters. “I think it was surprising how well he did with rural voters,” he said. “Look at this margin, we’re looking at a 27-point victory for Donald Trump among rural voters. That’s a double-digit improvement over how he did with them in 2020.”