President-elect Donald Trump has criticized retiring election pollster J. Ann Selzer and called for an investigation after her last pre-Election Day survey inaccurately showed Vice President Kamala Harris leading in Iowa, a state he ultimately won by a large margin. Trump accused Selzer of conducting a “totally fake poll” that caused distrust and uncertainty during a critical time. He went on to suggest possible election fraud by Selzer and called for an investigation, although the type of probe he meant is unclear.
Selzer, who has been conducting the Des Moines Register’s Iowa poll for nearly 40 years, announced her retirement from election polling after her inaccurate prediction. Despite Trump’s allegations, Selzer explained that her exit had been planned for over a year and was not related to the poll results. In a post-mortem of the poll, she highlighted the challenges of polling accuracy and suggested that respondents may have lied or changed their opinions after the survey was conducted.
The erroneous poll showing Harris leading in Iowa was featured on the front page of the newspaper, sparking enthusiasm among Democrats. Trump’s camp has criticized Selzer’s polling methods and accused her of attempting to misinform the public to benefit Harris. The controversy surrounding the poll has led to questions about the future of polling accuracy and methods in the political landscape as Selzer moves on to new ventures and opportunities.
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