Political analyst Larry Sabato on Thursday said Hillary Clinton could win more than 350 electoral votes — a statement that shocked a CNN anchor.
{mosads}Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, said Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is “very unlikely” to win the presidential race.
“We now have Hillary Clinton at her peak for the year, at 352 electoral votes,” Sabato said Thursday on CNN of the Democratic nominee.
“I know CNN is more cautious.”
“What, wait, 352?” CNN’s Carol Costello asked.
“Yes, we have her at 352, you have her at 307. We’ll find out on election night who’s closer,” Sabato responded.
“OK, you’ve just stunned me into silence,” Costello said, “so it’s a good time to end it here.”
Sabato’s Crystal Ball is predicting Clinton will receive 352 electoral voters. In the analysis, the team writes that Clinton is in a “commanding position in the contest to become the 45th president.”
In recent weeks, Clinton has been leading the polls both nationally and in many battleground states. According to the RealClearPolitics average of polls, Clinton has a 6-point lead over her Republican rival nationally.
The polls-plus election forecast on FiveThirtyEight predicts Clinton will get 326.6 electoral votes.
Sabato on Thursday also slammed Trump, suggesting he is living in an alternate reality. He said Trump has proclaimed he has won all three debates, which suggests “there are parallel universes.”
“And he’s living in a separate one where he wins the debates, he’s winning the election and probably will take the oath of office after Nov. 8 on Jan. 20, even though he has not been elected president,” Sabato said on CNN.
“It doesn’t change a thing in this universe.”