Dr. Sam Wang, founder of the Princeton Election Consortium, proved he is a man of his word on Saturday when he ate a bug on CNN.
“It’s totally over. If Trump wins more than 240 electoral votes, I will eat a bug,” Wang tweeted on October 18.
On CNN last Saturday, three days before the election, Wang doubled down on that promise.
“Dr. Wang, you were so sure of the outcome you tweeted recently that you would ‘eat a bug’ if Donald Trump pulled this thing out. Now that was pre-Comey, the latest Comey revelation, but it is that still your view?” CNN’s Michael Smerconish asked Wang on November 5.
“Yeah, what I said in that tweet was that Trump was unlikely to break 240 electoral votes and I think that’s pretty much the same. Honestly, this race is the most stable statistically since Eisenhower beat Stevenson in ’52. So I think things are looking the same and we should stay calm,” Wang responded.
Wang also said the odds were about four to one in favor of the Democrats winning control of the Senate. On election day, however, Republicans maintained their Senate majority.
Trump won the presidency with at least 290 electoral college votes, and most likely 306 when Michigan, where he leads by 13,107 votes, is finally called.
“The soon-to-be official electoral vote results for 2016 are projected to be 306-232. In other words, it’s an Electoral College landslide win for Trump.” as Matt Vespa wrote at TownHall.
But on Saturday, Wang delivered on his promise, live on CNN.
You can watch the video here.
“What about the bug?” Smerconish asked, with a broad smile on his face.
“Can you see this?” Wang responded.
“This is a can of gourmet style crickets. Gourmet from the point of view of a pet, I should say,” Wang said as he held up a small can for the camera.
“I’m told that it’s a great source of protein,” he added.
Now, I should say that, before I do this, let’s chat for a second. I think that the eating bug thing is itself sensationalist, and it keeps us off of important policy issues, such as Supreme Court appointments. You know, Donald Trump had a great conversation with Obama, and he can make a grand gesture, like, say, you know what, I’m representing all the people, I’m going to show everyone who I am and what I’m made of, and I’m going to name Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court.
“Now, Mike, you really want me to do this,” Wang asked.
Smerconish did not let him off the hook.
“I kind of would,” Smerconish answered. “Let’s put it to bed, once and for all.”
“Like John the Baptist in the wilderness, he ate locusts and honey. So I regard myself as being in the wilderness a little. After all, I was wrong. A lot of people were wrong, but nobody else made the promise I did,” Wang said.
“See this, here it goes,” Wang said, as he stuck a spoon into a bowl he held in his left hand, scooped up a cricket, placed it in his mouth, and swallowed the bug.
“You’re a man of your word, Dr. Wang. How was it, by the way?” Smerconish asked.
“Kind of mostly honeyish, a little nutty,” Wang responded.
“You delivered, OK? You’re a man of your word. I appreciate it. It was sensationalistic, but it was worth it.” Smerconish said.
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