{"id":2689189,"date":"2026-10-21T19:57:01","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T23:57:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/polling-group-trusted-by-mainstream-outlets-admits-its-polls-were-fake\/"},"modified":"2026-10-21T19:57:01","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T23:57:01","slug":"polling-group-trusted-by-mainstream-outlets-admits-its-polls-were-fake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/polling-group-trusted-by-mainstream-outlets-admits-its-polls-were-fake\/","title":{"rendered":"Polling Group Trusted by Mainstream Outlets Admits Its Polls Were Fake"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpolling-group-trusted-by-mainstream-outlets-admits-its-polls-were-fake%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2689189&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><br \/>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_0)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_2)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>With less than two weeks to go before the November election, Americans who have scoffed at political polling since Donald Trump entered politics a decade ago have one more reason to be skeptical.<\/p>\n<p>For the second time in the 2026 midterm election cycle, a \u201cpolling\u201d company has publicly admitted to fabricating data about voter preferences.<\/p>\n<p>And major media outlets and big-name polling operations had bought into it.<\/p>\n<p>Wedgewood Polling, a supposed startup in the polling industry, has been cited by outlets like The New York Times, Newsweek, DecisionDesk and The Hill, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/fake-polling-firm-duped-media-in-social-experiment-12599153\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Newsweek<\/a> reported Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>Nate Silver, probably the country\u2019s best known individual polling personality, also used Wedgwood data. In a post on the social media platform X Wednesday, he wrote that Wedgewood\u2019s numbers have been deleted from his database.<\/p>\n<p>He also wrote that Wedgewood\u2019s \u201cresults\u201d showed a consistent, if small, bias in favor of the Democratic Party.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">We removed Wedgewood \u201cpolls\u201d from our database, will write more about that tonight\/tomorrow. These polls tended to be ~1 point more favorable for Ds than the consensus. Biggest change in MI (El-Sayed goes from +3.6 to +3.0) but that also reflects the Marist AES +2 being added.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NateSilver538\/status\/2112920728362197087?\">October 21, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe removed Wedgewood \u2018polls\u2019 from our database, will write more about that tonight\/tomorrow. These polls tended to be ~1 point more favorable for Ds than the consensus,\u201d Silver wrote.<\/p>\n<p>Whatever the size of the skewing, Wedgewood\u2019s admission Tuesday that it was a fake operation rippled through the country\u2019s political journalism community.<\/p>\n<p>Silver, for instance, changed his forecast for Michigan\u2019s hot Senate race slightly to reduce the estimated lead of Democratic candidate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/watch-abdul-el-sayed-hillary-clinton-hot-sauce-purse-moment-cringey-pandering-interview\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Abdul El-Sayed<\/a>, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/politics\/articles\/nate-silver-forecast-shifts-towards-152844593.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall\">Newsweek<\/a>. He also adjusted Maine\u2019s Senate race slightly, because the fake data had affected the favorability of both incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Democratic challenger Troy Jackson, Newsweek reported.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/polls\/latest-polls.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">New York Times<\/a> also removed Wedgewood data and published an editor\u2019s note that appeared to try to downplay the incident, stating that it had performed \u201cvetting\u201d on Wedgewood similar to other polling trackers. It also made a point of noting that it didn\u2019t include Wedgewood numbers in \u201cthe tracker or average of President Trump\u2019s approval rating or of the national polls tracking overall preference for control of Congress.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Wedgewood Polling\u2019s admission came in a post on X Tuesday night, which came after the polling website FiftyPlusOne contacted Wedgewood for an article concerning its suspicions about the company\u2019s data.<\/p>\n<p>In a report published Tuesday night, FiftyPlusOne indicated Wedgewood\u2019s admission was a direct response to the fact that its hoax was about to be revealed publicly.<\/p>\n<p>(Wedgewood responded to FiftyPlusOne\u2019s queries with an expletive, FiftyPlusOne reported.)<\/p>\n<p>However, in its official response post, Wedgwood claimed that it manufactured and published the fabricated data as part of \u201can experimental project to demonstrate the vulnerabilities, lack of oversight, and overall low barrier to entry in the modern political polling industry.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">The polling industry needs major reform. Our statement below: https:\/\/t.co\/Sj8JLYgply<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Wedgewood Polls (@WedgewoodPolls) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/WedgewoodPolls\/status\/2112669955917242510?\">October 20, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe wanted to test a simple hypothesis: How easy is it for an entirely fabricated polling firm to gain traction, to be taken seriously, and expose how little scrutinization exists in media and public commentary?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe short answer: Far too easy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For Americans who follow politics, this all might sound familiar.<\/p>\n<p>In August, a hoax polling firm called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/pollster-thanksgiving-hating-socialist-23-points-closes-shop-admits-bungling-wisconsin-race\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Median Strategies<\/a> admitted to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2026-08-17\/poll-showing-bass-leading-raman-by-double-digits-was-bogus-company-says\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Los Angeles Times<\/a> that it had fabricated its numbers.<\/p>\n<p>Like the Wedgewood data, Median Strategies\u2019 results favored leftist candidates \u2014 such as Francesca Hong, the Democratic Socialists of America candidate for the Democratic nomination in Wisconsin\u2019s gubernatorial race. (Hong was widely believed to hold a commanding lead in the race, but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/pollsters-get-michigan-wisconsin-primaries-wrong\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ended up losing<\/a> narrowly to Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley.)<\/p>\n<p>And like Wedgewood, Median Strategies claimed it was an operation to prove how faulty the nation\u2019s polling system is.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMedian Strategies was created as a short term social experiment to examine how purported polling information could enter and spread through the political information ecosystem without independent verification,\u201d the company told the Los Angeles Times.<\/p>\n<p>In an X post, House Speaker Mike Johnson called the Wedgewood revelations \u201cnew evidence\u201d of the kind of bias conservatives are facing going into the midterm elections \u2014 and sounded a call to arms for Republican voters.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">I\u2019ve been sounding the alarms that the polls are WRONG\u2014and new evidence of that is now piling up! Polling organizations are being forced to admit they are dramatically under-sampling Republican support, but the media is delighted to use it all to depress GOP turnout. We can\u2019t let that happen! Today, the Wedgewood scandal\u2014where they\u2019ve admitted it was \u201cfar too easy\u201d to produce and spread completely fake polling data\u2014adds an even darker element with enormous implications. **IGNORE THE POLLS, and GO VOTE! \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 We have 13 days to SAVE AMERICA!**<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Mike Johnson (@MikeJohnson) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MikeJohnson\/status\/2112956832855810278?\">October 21, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>\u201cPolling organizations are being forced to admit they are dramatically under-sampling Republican support, but the media is delighted to use it all to depress GOP turnout. We can\u2019t let that happen!\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cToday, the Wedgewood scandal \u2014 where they\u2019ve admitted it was \u2018far too easy\u2019 to produce and spread completely fake polling data \u2014 adds an even darker element with enormous implications.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c**IGNORE THE POLLS, and GO VOTE!\u201d he concluded. \u201cWe have 13 days to SAVE AMERICA!**\u201d<\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #171717; display: flex;font-size: 16px;font-weight: 600;line-height: 1.5;margin: 24px 0;padding: 18px 20px 18px 30px;text-align: left;\">\n<div style=\"align-self: stretch;border-left: 3px solid #171717;flex-shrink: 0;padding-left: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<p><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/\">Choose The Western Journal as your preferred source on Google and never miss reporting that defends truth, protects freedom, and advances Western civilization<\/a><\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey == typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts = { \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs = [ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i = 0; i < inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! 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For the second time in the 2026 midterm election cycle, a \u201cpolling\u201d company has publicly admitted to fabricating data about voter preferences.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2689190,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Door-to-door-poll-taker.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2689189","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Door-to-door-poll-taker.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2689189","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2689189"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2689189\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2689190"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2689189"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2689189"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2689189"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}