Joy Behar, long-time co-host of The View and outspoken liberal commentator, is feeling the pressure as Donald Trump’s poll numbers continue to rise in the lead-up to the 2024 election.
On Wednesday, Behar openly voiced her concerns over recent polling data that shows the race between Republican frontrunner Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris tightening in key battleground states and nationally. Her unease mirrors growing anxiety among Democrats as Trump appears to be gaining momentum in critical demographics that could determine the outcome of the election.
According to a report by the Daily Caller, Behar expressed her frustration with the current state of the race, saying, “I’m starting to worry about the polls because I see a lot of the media saying that [Trump is] leading, and everybody’s getting nervous.” Behar’s concerns stem from polling that shows Trump performing better than expected among Black and Latino men, groups that have traditionally leaned Democratic but are now showing signs of support for the former president.
What makes these polls particularly worrisome for Behar and her liberal allies is the narrow margin by which Harris is leading Trump in crucial swing states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
As of mid-October, Harris is up by just 1 percentage point in these states, a far slimmer lead than past Democratic candidates like Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020, both of whom had more comfortable polling leads at this stage of the race. Despite these earlier advantages, Trump has a history of outperforming polls, leading to unexpected results on Election Day.
Behar hinted at a possible media strategy aimed at demoralizing Democrats by reporting on these tight polling numbers. She suggested that media outlets are “doing that on purpose,” making it seem as though Trump has the upper hand to sway potential Harris supporters into believing her chances are slipping. “They’re doing that on purpose because basically it’s so disheartening for Democrats and people who are leaning toward Kamala to say, ‘What are you doing, don’t buy into that,’” Behar added during the show.
The fact that Trump is performing well in polls among key voting blocs has added to Behar’s worries. According to CNN’s poll analyst Harry Enten, Trump has made significant strides with traditionally Democratic-leaning voters, particularly Black and Latino men. In a major shift from past elections, only 41% of Black men aged 18-44 currently support Harris, while Trump has made noticeable inroads with Black and Latino male voters.
This shift in Black and Latino voters could prove pivotal in states like Arizona, where a recent USA Today/Suffolk University poll showed Trump pulling in 51% of Latino men aged 18-34. Similarly, Trump has boosted his support among Black voters from 7% in 2016 to an estimated 15% in 2024, a substantial increase that could tip the scales in his favor in tight races across battleground states.
Even among white women, a demographic where Democrats have traditionally enjoyed strong support, Trump has managed to gain ground. The latest polls show that Trump now holds a slim 2-point advantage over Harris in this key voter group. For a campaign focused on appealing to women and minorities, Harris’s diminished lead among these groups is a worrying sign for Democrats heading into the final stretch of the election.
The implications of Trump’s growing support are not lost on Behar, whose candid remarks reflect broader concerns within the Democratic Party. With Trump gaining ground in battleground states and cutting into traditional Democratic strongholds, the 2024 race is shaping up to be as unpredictable as the last two elections.
What makes Trump’s resurgence even more unsettling for Behar and other liberal commentators is his ability to outperform polls when it matters most—on Election Day. In 2020, despite holding significant leads in pre-election polling, Joe Biden barely managed to win key battleground states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, scraping by with narrow victories. Pollsters and analysts have since noted that many surveys tend to oversample Democrats, underestimating the level of support for Trump among certain voter groups.
As Trump continues to make inroads among crucial demographics, Behar’s on-air comments signal a growing recognition among liberal commentators that the 2024 election may be far closer than many had anticipated. While Behar tries to downplay the significance of these polling results, the numbers tell a different story.
As the election draws nearer, Behar’s concerns are a reflection of the increasing anxiety within the Democratic Party as Trump’s campaign gains momentum. Whether this momentum will translate into a victory at the ballot box remains to be seen, but for now, Trump’s surge in the polls is giving his supporters reason to celebrate—and giving his opponents reason to worry.
