'Simply want him to focus': Ex-insider spills details about White House frustrations

Frustrations are mounting in the White House, a former insider revealed Wednesday.

A new CNN poll finds a record 73 percent of Americans believe President Trump hasn't focused enough on the country's most pressing problems, with only 27 percent saying he's had the right priorities.

The survey conducted by SSRS came alongside darkening views of the Iran war, persistent economic frustration and broad dissatisfaction with the president's handling of these challenges, findings that former White House staffer Alyssa Farah Griffin reacted to Wednesday on "CNN News Central."

"These are glaring signals – alarms are going off," said Griffin, who served as director of strategic communications during Trump's first term. "You and I were covering that speech last week at the White House Correspondents Dinner. He was weaving, he was bobbing, he was swimming. He was all over, and his White House advisers, I talk to many of them, they simply want him to focus on the economy – yet he will not do that."

"Trump's overall approval rating stands at 34 percent, tying the career low he hit at the end of his first term after January 6, 2021. Half of Americans now strongly disapprove of him, while just 15 percent strongly approve — both record extremes. Even within his own party, approval has slipped to a new low of 78 percent, and only 19 percent of Republicans say they're enthusiastic about the remainder of his term, down sharply from 38 percent last spring.

"The midtermsdon't look great for Republicans," Griffin said. "I think it's pretty much a foregoneconclusion that the House isgoing to flip, but I think it'sin the back of his mind that the Senate very much looks like itmay stay in Republican hands. It could flip, but there'snot some overwhelming wave, Ithink, that he's expecting, andI think that gives him some hopethat there is going to be thisbalance of power where he stillmay have Republican control inthe Senate, yet lose the Houseto Democrats."

Just 28 percent approve of his handling of Iran, 25 percent on inflation and 21 percent on gas prices. Only about a quarter of Americans believe he has a clear plan for the Iran conflict, and 62 percent now say he isn't an effective world leader.

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