Keep Factually independent
Whether you agree or disagree with our analysis, these conversations matter for democracy. We don't take money from political groups - even a $5 donation helps us keep it that way.
Fact check: “Kamala’s own internal polling never had her ahead not even once” I saw this statement in relation to the 2024 election. Is it correct?
1. Summary of the results
Based on multiple consistent sources, the statement appears to be accurate. David Plouffe, a senior campaign adviser to Kamala Harris, has explicitly confirmed that their internal polling never showed Harris leading Trump [1]. The campaign's internal surveys consistently showed Harris "way behind" Trump [2] [3], and this remained "mostly static" throughout the campaign period [3].
2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints
Several important contextual elements are missing from the original statement:
- There was a significant discrepancy between internal and public polling, with public polls occasionally showing Harris ahead [1] [2]
- The campaign team expressed surprise at these public polling results that contradicted their internal data [1]
- At best, some internal polls showed Harris tied with Trump, but never leading [3]
3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement
While the core claim appears accurate, there are several considerations regarding potential bias:
- Polling methodology differences: The statement doesn't acknowledge the existence of contradicting public polls, which could suggest selective presentation of data
- Beneficiaries of this narrative:
- Trump campaign and supporters benefit from highlighting Harris's polling weakness
- Public polling organizations might have benefited from showing a closer race to maintain public interest
- Media organizations benefit from presenting a competitive race narrative
The statement, while technically accurate according to multiple confirmations from David Plouffe, omits the broader context of public polling data and the complexity of campaign polling methodologies.