'Huge drop!' CNN data stunned as GOP enthusiasm collapses

CNN's Harry Enten found evidence that congressional Republicans are shooting themselves in the foot by abdicating their role to President Donald Trump.

Republicans took back both houses of Congress when Trump won a second term, but a year into his presidency, GOP voters remain enthusiastic about the chief executive but are losing faith in their elected representatives, the data analyst found.

"The party that does have amotivation problem is the Republican Party," Enten said. "Youknow, this, I think, sort of tellsthe story, extremely motivated tovote this election cycle, you goback to October of 2024, justbefore Donald Trump wasre-elected. Hello, Republicansled on this measure; 67 percent of Republicans or those who leanRepublican said they wereextremely motivated to vote in2024, compared to just 62 percent of Democrats. Republicans feltlike, hey, we're going out forice cream, like a child going outfor ice cream."

"You come over tothis side of the screen, Republican enthusiasm down," Enten added. "Nowthey feel like they're going tothe dentist. Just 50 percent of Republicans say they'reextremely motivated to vote in2026, compared to 66 percent of Democrats. That's actually up alittle bit, so Republicans aredepressed in terms of theirmotivation compared to Democrats, and very much socompared to Republicans backduring the 2024 cycle."

That lack of enthusiasm could be an issue as Republicans face voters this November, but Enten said the polling shows that's a problem of their own making.

"Youknow, turnout is lower during amidterm cycle than it is duringa presidential cycle, and youwant your folks to be motivatedto go out there and vote, andthis gives the game away righthere," Enten said. "Choice for Congress, themargin among voters overall inour CNN/SSRS poll, Democrats ledby five points. But among thoseextremely motivated, hello,it's a 16-point advantage, so Democrats have a turnoutadvantage. You've been seeingthat in those off-yearelections, right? New Jersey, Virginia governor, those specialelections for the House that Democrats have been coming outin droves and very muchoutperforming the baseline from2020 for how well Kamala Harrisdid in those districts, and thatseems to be translating to ourgeneric ballot measure, as well, with Democrats extremelymotivated to turn out to voteand have a much larger lead inthe race for Congress than theydo among voters overall."

"Feeling about Trump isone thing, then it's aboutfeeling, how do you feel aboutthose Republicans in Congress, right?" Enten added. "This, I think, is avery important slide becauseessentially saying, hey, do youbelieve that the GOP iseffective at passing laws? Andthis is among Republicans in January of 2025, 90 percent of Republicans said that theybelieve that, in fact, the GOPin Congress would be effectiveat passing laws. Now it's just70 percent. That is a huge drop, sothat enthusiasm for Donald Trumpisn't necessarily translating into enthusiasm for voting for Republicans for office, because Donald Trump is signing a lot ofexecutive orders, and Republicans in Congress aren'tnecessarily passing a lot oflaws."

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