Trump could lose popular vote by 5m, but still win 2020 election: Michael Moore

US filmmaker Michael Moore says that President Donald Trump could lose the popular vote by 5 million, but still emerge victorious in the 2020 election.

“I believe whoever the Democrat is next year is going to win by 4 to 5 million popular votes,” the Oscar Award documentary filmmaker and activist has told Democracy Now.

“The problem is… if the vote were today, I believe, he [Trump] would win the electoral states that he would need because living out there, I will tell you, his level of support has not gone down one inch.”

"In fact, I'd say it's even more rabid than it was before, because they're afraid now. They're afraid he could lose, because they watched his behavior."

"They are voracious in their appetite for Donald Trump," Moore added, "that's the bad news."

In 2016, Trump’s opponent, Hillary Clinton, secured the popular vote with a sizable lead of 2.8 million votes, tantamount to 2.1 percent of the total vote.

Nonetheless, Trump comfortably won the election by winning key states, thanks to the so-called Electoral College system.

The system overrides the popular vote, which gives the victory to the candidate winning the most ballots. It instead makes 538 electors across different states that are chosen based on each state’s representation in Congress, liable for electing the chief executive. Therefore, if a contestant secures at least 270 of the electoral votes, they have won the presidential race.

Opponents say the system counters the fundamentals of a democratic republic, calling for its abolition.

US movement seeks to axe Electoral College system

A Democratic-led movement is seeking to strike down the so-called Electoral College system.

In his interview, Moore also warned Democrats against choosing a so-called moderate candidate like “Hillary Clinton,” saying they might lose again.

“If we go that route, it’s guaranteed we will lose the Electoral College. We will win when we put somebody on that ballot that excites the base – women, people of color, young people,” he said.

A new poll released last week showed Senator and Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders had overtaken former Vice President Joe Biden in head to head matchup with Trump.

The survey, conducted between December 18 and 19 by Ipsos/Reuters, found that 39 percent of US voters favored Sanders over Trump, compared to 37 percent who preferred Biden over the Republican president.

Moore has supported Sanders for the Democratic nomination, but did say he would be satisfied with Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts as the candidate.

His remarks came as the House of Representative impeached Trump on December 18 over allegations that the president had abused his power by withholding $391 million in US security aid to Ukraine as leverage to pressure Kiev to conduct an investigation that would benefit him politically.

And according to a new poll released last week, a majority of Americans approve of Trump’s impeachment.

Majority of Americans approve of Trump’s impeachment: Poll

A majority of US voters approve of the House of Representatives’ impeachment of President Trump earlier this week, according to a new poll.

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