'Wild!' CNN anchors baffled as exit polls show major flip in critical battleground state
A CNN panel of anchors expressed shock as the results of another exit poll showed a major flip in the crucial battleground state of Georgia.
David Chalian shared the results Tuesday night of a poll of independent voters that he called "the story of these exit polls in Georgia."
Former President Donald Trump is winning with independent voters, who make up 31 percent of the electorate, by 11 points in early exit poll results, he said, noting that President Joe Biden won independent voters in 2020 by nine points.
"So we've seen a swing of 20 points towards Trump in terms of the margin," said Chalian.
The news stunned anchor Jake Tapper, who exclaimed, "Wow!"
He said the poll has some early significance and turned to fellow anchors Dana Bash, Audie Cornish and Chris Wallace for their reaction.
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"That independent swing is wild," he said.
"It's a huge swing," concurred Bash, noting it's a bigger percentage of the vote share this time around as well — in 2020, independents made up 28 percent of the electorate.
"And it's a total flip!" she exclaimed. "It's a complete flip."
Wallace was also stunned.
"I'm trying to figure out why," he said. "What the reason is that would be this dramatic flip of double digits in independents. And I am — something you don't often hear on election coverage — am at something of a loss as to how you explain that independents would've gone so much more for Trump this time than they did for Biden last time."