Skip to content
No, Harris Did Not Underperform Biden’s 2020 Results in Every U.S. County
Go to my account

No, Harris Did Not Underperform Biden’s 2020 Results in Every U.S. County

A viral video clip from CNN was truncated.

(Screenshot from YouTube)

A viral clip from CNN’s election night coverage has led many internet users to claim falsely that Vice President Kamala Harris did not outperform President Joe Biden’s 2020 election results in “a single county” in the U.S. 

That claim is false. While CNN anchor Jake Tapper reacted on-air to an election map that he believed showed Harris outperforming Biden in “not one county,” fellow anchor John King quickly corrected Tapper—the map showed that Harris didn’t outperform Biden in a single state “by 3 percent or more.”

However, a version of that clip that spread across social media platforms did not include King’s correction, leading users to falsely claim Harris did not outperform Biden in a single county.

“Jake Tapper is absolutely SHOCKED by the map showing that Kamala didn’t outperform Biden in a single county,” the X account “Libs of TikTok” tweeted to its 3.7 million followers. “She’s a total loser!”

Fox News commentator Sean Hannity posted the video clip to Facebook, with the caption, “‘Fake’ Jake Tapper Is Absolutely Shocked that Kamala Didn’t Outperform Biden in a Single County.” “I love this video of Jake Tapper in shock that Kamala didn’t out perform Biden anywhere,” Abigail Jackson, communications director for Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, tweeted. 

Some users have linked the video to baseless claims of election fraud in the 2020 election. One X user, replying to a tweet from right-wing internet personality Benny Johnson, shared the video in a tweet that’s received more than 750,000 views. “Not one county,” the X user, Duane Harrison, tweeted with the video. “It’s as if they cheated last time!”

A longer clip from that broadcast features CNN anchors King and Tapper at nearly 2 a.m. on election night discussing the results on the network’s interactive “Magic Wall” map. “So, you asked, are there any places where the vice president is overperforming Joe Biden in 2020,” King said, pulling up a map. “So, we can show you that as well.” 

“Holy smokes,” Tapper exclaimed to the completely gray map. “Literally nothing? Literally not one county?” King then quickly corrected Tapper, explaining that the map 1) showed states where Harris outperformed Biden “by 3 percent or more” and 2) displayed results by state, not by county. 

King then displayed a different map, showing Harris outperforming Biden by 3 percent or more in 58 total counties. Including Washington D.C., the United States has 3,144 counties. 

If you have a claim you would like to see us fact check, please send us an email at factcheck@thedispatch.com. If you would like to suggest a correction to this piece or any other Dispatch article, please email corrections@thedispatch.com.

Peter Gattuso is a fact check reporter for The Dispatch, based in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining the company in 2024, he interned at The Dispatch, National Review, the Cato Institute, and the Competitive Enterprise Institute. When Peter is not fact-checking, he is probably watching baseball, listening to music on vinyl records, or discussing the Jones Act.

Share with a friend

Your membership includes the ability to share articles with friends. Share this article with a friend by clicking the button below.

Please note that we at The Dispatch hold ourselves, our work, and our commenters to a higher standard than other places on the internet. We welcome comments that foster genuine debate or discussion—including comments critical of us or our work—but responses that include ad hominem attacks on fellow Dispatch members or are intended to stoke fear and anger may be moderated.

You are currently using a limited time guest pass and do not have access to commenting. Consider subscribing to join the conversation.

With your membership, you only have the ability to comment on The Morning Dispatch articles. Consider upgrading to join the conversation everywhere.