John McLaughlin is an Americanpollster known for his work for conservative politicians. He has worked for US PresidentDonald Trump for over a decade, including on his election campaigns in2016,2020, and2024.
John McLaughlin began his career in polling by working forArthur J. Finkelstein in the 1980s. He then created an independent polling firm withTony Fabrizio, and soon after established his own firm, McLaughlin & Associates.[1]
In 2002 he was hired to work for the UKConservative Party.[2] Other past clients include Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu.[3][4] McLaughlin also worked on then-House majority leaderEric Cantor's 2014 re-election campaign, and produced polls suggesting that Cantor was comfortably ahead in primary campaigning. Cantor lost the Republican primary in an upset,[5] and McLaughlin's polls were off by 45 points from the actual result.[6][7]New York magazine reported that McLaughlin was "notorious for producing rosy polling data on behalf of his clients."[8]
John McLaughlin first worked forDonald Trump in 2011, when Trump was considering running for president. The two were introduced byDick Morris, and McLaughlin aided Trump in making plans for a possible campaign. McLaughlin subsequently worked on Trump's2016,2020, and2024 presidential campaigns.[1][9] In 2016, it was reported that McLaughlin focused his campaign efforts on New York state.[10] By the 2020 election,The Hill deemed McLaughlin and his brother, Jim, "Trump's most trusted pollsters".[1] For the 2024 election, McLaughlin & Associates were one of two companies that conducted polls for Trump.[9]