Lara Trump visits Iowa, dismissing polls; Experts say this year's polls are more accurate
President Donald Trump won Iowa in 2016 by nearly 10 points, but new polls continue to show a neck-and-neck 2020 presidential race in the Hawkeye State.
Trump's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, was at the downtown Des Moines Marriott and spoke with KCCI. She said she doesn't believe in polls, but KCCI's political analyst Dennis Goldford said all the evidence points to Iowa being a close state.
Nearly 100 supporters were at Lara Trump's event Thursday. While she urged the crowed to give President Donald Trump four more years, a New York Times poll released Thursday shows former Vice President Joe Biden ahead by three points. Another poll this week had the two men tied.
"That indicates that Iowa is highly competitive," Goldford said.
Lara Trump dismissed the polls outright.
"You know, the 2016 polls even the day before Election Day told us that Hillary Clinton would win. There was no path to victory for Donald Trump. I think the polls are very skewed. The enthusiasm could not be better for President Donald Trump," Lara Trump said.
But Goldford said there's a reason to believe things are different. He said national polls were largely accurate in 2016, but state-by-state polls had issues, under-sampling rural voters, who largely come out to support President Trump and oversampling college educate voters, who largely didn't.
"Most reputable pollsters have corrected for that already," Goldford said. "They're not going to be shamed twice or fooled twice."
Polls also show a wide gender gap, but Lara Trump discounted those too.
"Look, we're paying close attention to it," Lara Trump said. "That's why we have our women's bus tour to connect with women all across the country. And everywhere we go we tend to see at all of our events it is predominantly women who are so enthusiastic about the president."
Goldford said Lara Trump's and effective campaigner whose presence could slightly help the president.
"Ultimately, it's Donald Trump that wins or loses this election," Goldford said.
Goldford said the Trump campaign is banking on another "hidden" vote. He said it remains to be seen whether that happens.