These "Troll Polls" Are Bullsh*t. Don’t Let the GOP Mess With Our Heads.

The National Republican Senate Committee (NRSC)—the group responsible for electing a Republican Senate—is running a master class in trolling Democratic campaigns right now. And too many people are falling for it.

Over the past several days, the NRSC has been rolling out what I’d call troll polls—manipulated, distorted numbers dressed up as legitimate data, designed to push false narratives. Why? Because they know that poll aggregators, influencers, reporters—and even campaigns—will latch onto any poll to feed the endless demand for content, bait high-dollar donors, or spin up press hits. The result? Manufactured momentum, confused Democratic donors, and distractions for the campaigns they’re targeting.

Make no mistake: these troll polls aren’t signs of Republican strength—they’re signs of desperation. With Trump’s approval ratings tanking and the GOP’s deeply unpopular “Big BS Budget” dragging them down, Republicans know the Senate is in play, and they’re scared.

Take Michigan, for example. The NRSC just dropped a poll showing Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed far ahead of Mallory McMorrow—conveniently just days after Mallory reported outraising the field with a massive grassroots fundraising haul from small-dollar donors. Even more telling: this poll came right on the heels of a high-quality independent poll memo from Yes Michigan showing Mallory as the strongest general election candidate.

To me, this is simple: Republicans are scared to run against her. And it makes sense. Mallory is an effective communicator, a strong fundraiser, and when voters get to know her, the data shows they like her. (Full disclosure: I do digital work for her.)

Mallory is exactly the kind of next-generation political communicator who can bring new voters into the tent, center real issues, and build the kind of winning coalition Democrats need for the general election. That’s why I’m proud to be part of her team.

Now take Texas, where the NRSC dropped another troll poll claiming Jasmine Crockett is the frontrunner for the Democratic Senate nomination. Now, I love Jasmine Crockett—she’s a phenomenal communicator and an incredible person—but I haven’t heard anything about her actually considering a Senate run. The names people actually expect in the mix are James Talarico, Colin Allred (already in), Joaquin Castro, and a few others.

The Republicans’ game here is obvious: distract from Colin Allred’s campaign launch, sow division among Democrats, and hand influencers and reporters a shiny object to chase. And people are taking the bait. Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign jumped on the poll for digital fundraising (and honestly, I don’t blame them), and others picked it up for engagement bait, too.

The point is: Republicans are playing us. They’re exploiting the political world’s insatiable hunger for new polls and fresh narratives—knowing full well that no one will remember who actually ran the poll in the first place.

Democrats need to wise up. We have to stop letting Republican operatives shape our narratives, divide our coalitions, and dictate how we talk about our own candidates. Democratic primary voters—not Republican pollsters—should decide who our nominees are. And we have incredible candidates who deserve to be judged on their ideas, their campaigns, and their ability to win—not on garbage data designed to mess with our heads—and more importantly, mess with voters.

It’s a dirty trick, but it’s a smart one. And Republicans are going to keep doing it. Not just in Senate races, but in House races, presidential primaries—anywhere they can sow chaos. The point isn’t accuracy. The point is to mislead.

The bottom line: Don’t feed the trolls. Don’t fall for fake narratives. Don’t amplify them. And don’t let Republican operatives play you. Democratic voters—not bad-faith Republican trolls—should decide who represents our party. And don’t lose sight of what actually moves voters: organizing, storytelling, and building real momentum.