Fact Check: "Trump's voter turnout was 89%, surpassing Biden's 85% in 2024."
What We Know
The claim that "Trump's voter turnout was 89%, surpassing Biden's 85% in 2024" is not supported by the available data. According to a comprehensive analysis by the Pew Research Center, Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election with approximately 49.7% of the total votes cast, while Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate, received about 48.2% of the votes (source-2). The overall voter turnout for the election was around 64% of the eligible voting population, which is the second highest since 1904 (source-2).
Furthermore, the Youth Vote in 2024 report from Tufts' CIRCLE indicates that youth voter turnout was significantly lower, estimated at 47% (source-1). This data highlights that the turnout rates claimed in the assertion do not reflect the actual voter turnout figures.
Analysis
The claim of 89% voter turnout for Trump and 85% for Biden appears to be a misinterpretation or exaggeration of the actual voting data. The Pew Research Center's findings indicate that Trump won with a total of 49.7% of the votes, which does not equate to a turnout percentage but rather the percentage of votes he received from those who voted (source-2).
Additionally, the assertion lacks credible support from reliable sources. The CIRCLE report emphasizes the youth vote and its dynamics, which further contradicts the claim by showing that overall turnout was much lower than the figures presented (source-1).
The Pew Research Center's analysis also notes that Trump's coalition became more diverse and younger in 2024, but this does not translate into the inflated turnout percentages claimed (source-4).
Conclusion
The claim that "Trump's voter turnout was 89%, surpassing Biden's 85% in 2024" is False. The actual voter turnout figures do not support this assertion, as both candidates' percentages refer to the votes received rather than turnout rates. The data from credible sources indicates that the overall turnout was approximately 64%, with Trump receiving 49.7% of the votes and Harris 48.2%.
