Biden says polls can’t be trusted as he insists midterms are ‘most important election in our lifetime’

‘I don't pay attention to anything having to do with the polls’

President Joe Biden on Monday told a group of Democratic National Committee staffers to ignore polling and remain focused on framing the November midterm elections as a choice between Democratic progress and Republican chaos.

Speaking at DNC headquarters in Washington, Mr Biden said recent polling numbers have been “all over the place” and said even the pollsters charged with gauging public opinion “aren’t sure” of their accuracy because it’s “awful hard to do it these days”.

“I don't pay attention to anything having to do with the polls. I just pay attention to what's happened on the phone and ... knocking on doors,” he said, adding that he had come to the Democratic headquarters to deliver “a closing argument”.

“What we need to do in the next 15 days to make a victory assured and make it clear that this election ... a choice,” he said. “Everybody wants to make it a referendum. But it's a choice between two vastly different visions for America”.

Mr Biden’s remarks come as Republicans have been claiming momentum with just two weeks and a day left before Americans choose whether to allow Democrats to retain control of the House and Senate.

It’s widely expected that Mr Biden’s party will lose control of the House on account of Republican state legislature-drawn districts which heavily favour white, rural, GOP-leaning demographics. But the race for control of the 100-member upper chamber is considered a toss-up by most analysts.

Yet recent polling from CNN shows Democrats poised for a good result in several key races.

In Pennsylvania, where retiring GOP senator Pat Toomey’s open seat could give Democrats a key victory, respondents gave Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman a six-point lead over TV doctor turned Republican nominee Mehmet Oz, 51 per cent to 45 percent.

Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson, who in recent weeks appeared to have a significant lead over Democratic challenger Mandela Barnes, now holds just a single-point lead over the Badger State lieutenant governor.

Democratic gubernatorial candidates in two states appear to hold commanding leads over their respective GOP rivals, with Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro up 56 per cent to 41 per cent over GOP nominee Doug Mastriano, and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer leading GOP nominee Tudor Dixon 52 per cent to 46 per cent.