'Bonkers' new numbers on Trump's job market leave CNN expert aghast: 'Blew my mind'
Donald Trump visits a Ford factory in Dearborn, Michigan earlier this month. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
February 10, 2026
CNN's Harry Enten was gobsmacked by "bonkers" findings in new polls on President Donald Trump and the job market.
The White House and Trump administration officials started out the week tempering public expectations for the coming jobs report — expected to be released Wednesday — and Enten told "CNN News Central" the public has seriously soured on the president's handling of the economy.
"Donald Trump took abeautiful swan and turned itinto an ugly duckling, as far asthe American people areconcerned," Enten said, looking at poll results.
"Because thesenumbers ... [are] absolutely crazy in howthe American people have totallyturned on Donald Trump. Take alook here: Trump's net approvalrating on jobs and employment in January 2025, look at that,overall plus-nine points. Hey,that's pretty good. But down hegoes – minus-13 points overall."
"But youthink that's nuts, take a lookat the independents," he added. "They gofrom plus-seven way, way, way down, off thescreen, to minus-30 points.That's a 37-point drop in the net approval for Donald Trump among independents on the issue of jobs andemployment."
That change in public opinion in the past year has been staggering, he said.
"This next chart isactually the one that thatreally blew my mind," Enten said. "It's aboutpeople's views of the jobmarket in general over a similarperiod of time. Yeah, okay, if youthink these numbers are crazy,this next one these are bonkers,okay. What are we talking abouthere? Americans rate the jobmarket as bad or good, February2025, equal shares say fair orsay bad or good, 42-42. Look atthis now, over just a year'stime. Now the clear majority,52 percent, up like a rocket, rated itbad compared to just 33 percent, down tothe basement, who rated as good."
"So what we've seen is Americansrating the job market, it was aneven split a year ago, and nowthe clear majority, by a 19-pointmargin rated as bad rather thangood," Enten added, "and that goes a long wayto explain why Donald Trump'snumbers on jobs and unemploymenthave fallen to the floor."