Trump says he doesn’t believe the Fox News poll and looks at CNN’s. CNN has him lower

Donald Trump has finally found a pollster he trusts. Bad news: it’s CNN, and CNN’s numbers are worse.

Sunday in Michigan, FOX 2 Detroit’s Roop Raj pointed out that Fox News had him at 36% and asked whether he looks at those ratings. On a channel with Fox in its name, Trump answered: “I look at the CNN poll. I don’t believe in the Fox poll. I think they have one of the worst pollsters in the world, actually.” Raj checked: so he does listen to CNN? He cited “the CNN poll that just came out that said I’m at 99% within the Republican Party... the highest ever. Just came out. You’ll be seeing it today.”

CNN’s latest poll, taken 15–18 Oct and published 21 Oct, has his approval at a record-low 32%, and 74% among Republicans, which CNN calls a new low for him with his own party. We couldn’t find a CNN poll with 99%. The Fox News poll he doesn’t believe (9–12 Oct) has him at 36% overall and 76% among Republicans. The two polls sample different groups (Fox: registered voters; CNN’s 32%: all adults), but by our math, the poll he dismissed has him higher on both counts.

Asked about the overall number, he called it “very good,” adding: “If I ran against anybody right now, they say I’d win by 20, 25 points.” Who “they” are went unnamed. Then, unprompted: “But I think I’m not running. Again, I’m not running.”