The Dan Bongino Show
The Dan Bongino Show

An Election Night Shakeup

August 12, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

In a Wisconsin primary that stunned the political world, self-described socialist Francesca Hong lost by a landslide despite leading every single public poll by roughly 20 points. That gap between what the polls predicted and what actually happened is the thread running through this episode of The Dan Bongino Show. Bongino argues the media, the polls, and the political establishment are all feeding a narrative that has little connection to reality—and that the stakes for November are higher than most people realize.

The Polling Disaster and What It Means

Bongino opens with a blunt warning: "Ignore the polls. Ignore the polls." He points to the 2022 midterms as Exhibit A, when the much-hyped "red wave" never materialized because Republicans got complacent. Now, the same pattern is repeating on the Democratic side. Hong was up by double digits in every survey and lost badly. In Michigan, socialist candidate Abdul El-Sayed was up by more than 10 points and barely squeaked through. The polls are not just wrong—they are dangerously misleading, Bongino argues, because they demoralize or overconfident voters on both sides.

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:10) **Secret Service Iran Threat Story** - Bongino introduces a story about a security threat in Turkey that forced President Trump to be evacuated from Air Force One.
  • 2 (01:07) **Election Results & Socialist Losses** - Bongino covers primary election results, highlighting a major loss for a socialist candidate in Wisconsin.
  • 3 (03:31) **Polls Are Untrustworthy** - Bongino argues that polls should be disregarded, using recent primary results and the 2022 midterms as evidence.
  • 4 (06:41) **UAW Worker Exposes Socialist Vulnerability** - Bongino recounts a Fox News interview with a union worker who is angry about socialist healthcare proposals.
  • 5 (08:16) **Trump's Capital Gains Tax Cut Proposal** - Bongino defends Trump's proposed capital gains tax cut by pointing out Bill Clinton did the same thing in 1997.
  • 6 (10:14) **A Personal Anecdote About Trump's Character** - Bongino shares a small, unnamed event from the morning that reaffirms President Trump's genuine character.
  • 7 (11:05) **Media Ego & The Turkey Threat Detail** - Bongino dissects the media's reaction to the Secret Service threat in Turkey, arguing they are making it about their own safety.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Show Notes

In this episode, I'll cover the election night surprises from last night -- what went well and what we need to be worried about.


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A year after D.C. takeover, Trump says crime has plummeted. It’s not that simple.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2026/08/11/trump-says-hes-made-dc-safer-truth-is-more-complicated/


How a Counterintelligence Inquiry Into Trump’s Russia Ties Was Derailed

https://x.com/nytmike/status/2086916560489210079?s=43&t=2OuTabDIsDqEHM5jf0M3ZQ


Trump confirms his advisers told him to switch planes in Turkey over security threat

https://justthenews.com/index%2Ephp/government/white-house/trump-confirms-his-advisers-told-him-switch-planes-turkey-over-security


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