Candid Insights from CNN's Kasie Hunt on the Unusual Nature of the 2024 Election

Written by Brian Stelter

Inside the Hive host, Brian Stelter, catches up with experienced political correspondent and CNN anchor Kasie Hunt after her recent reporting venture to Iowa. This was where Donald Trump significantly outperformed Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, and the next political battleground, New Hampshire. In this intensely anticipated GOP race, the destination seems foregone. Hunt suspects, "It is extraordinarily hard to see how either one of them halts Donald Trump’s sprint to the nomination."

Hunt fascinates over her experiences while covering Trump’s journey since his first election announcement in Trump Tower back in June 2015 to the recent caucus. "People's reception and response to Donald Trump greatly differ from how they would normally respond to other political candidates," she remarks.

“Donald Trump's interaction and the people's reaction has always been extraordinary," she observes, "In some ways, it mirrors how people react to a celebrity-like Taylor Swift rather than traditional politicians. Of course, both Taylor and Donald are poles apart personalities, but his public persona grabs everyone's attention. They all want to get close to him, and the aura around him is quite different.”

Hunt further illuminates how the 2024 electoral campaign deviates from the previous ones, which used to experience fierce competition and a myriad of rivalry candidates (backed by an army of media personnel), racing overnight from Iowa to New Hampshire.

"Yes, it was packed with suspense and indeed was the epitome of election thrill in a democracy. Bringing this up as it starkly contrasts with what I encountered earlier this week. This time around, only a few reporters were present, and only one candidate, Haley. There were no media personnel on their aircraft,” she shares. “However, it wasn’t the same energized environment anymore, emphasizing how downsized the event felt in the act of opposing Donald Trump. The current lack of suspense arises from the inability of any candidate to stir up the interest this year while running against Donald Trump."

"Despite how much I enjoy such political hustle, being in Iowa was quite an exhilarating experience, and equally so in New Hampshire but in a different manner," she adds, "This is an altogether unique kind of election."