CNN's Harry Enten presented new polling data Monday that Republican candidates might not want to see.
President Donald Trump was re-elected to a second term by promising to reduce the cost of living on day one — but polling has consistently shown that Americans have soured on his economic policies. Data expert Enten told "CNN News Central" the numbers are now gouging a deep wedge into GOP support.
"You know, if I was a memberof the White House, these arethe numbers that would make mego 'yikes,'" Enten said. "And if I was a Republican member of Congress, Iwould want to run – but there isno place to hide, because justtake a look here, okay? Trumpwill or is making youfinancially worse off [or] betteroff? The reason he was reelectedto a second term back in Octoberof 2024 is the plurality said that Trump's policies would makethem better off, 44 percent to 38 percent whosay worse off.
"Come up to thisside of the screen — worseoff, up like a rocket. We'retalking 53 percent, wow. Exactly right, wow, 53 percent of Americans now saythat Trump's policies make themworse off, compared to just 18 percent, just 18 percent who say better off. Sothat six-point plurality infavor of better off back in October of 2024 has become a 35-point plurality in terms ofworse off. Again, these arenumbers that would make me go 'yikes' if I were in the White House."
"You think thesenumbers are bad?" he added. "Among independents,they're even worse. Take a lookhere – hello – okay, independents,Trump is making you, yeah, ooh,ooh, October of 2024. The slightplurality, though, within themargin of error said better off,40 percent. Worse off, 38 percent. Now just 13 percent, a very unlucky 13, indeed, ofindependents say that Trump'spolicies are making youfinancially better off comparedto 63 whosay worse off.
"Thatis now a 47-point majority infavor of worse off compared to atwo-point plurality in favor ofbetter off back in October of2024. That is a 50-point, a near50-point switcheroo to the worse-off side among independents whoultimately decide elections inthis country, and that's why Isaid, if you're a Republicanmember of Congress, you want torun. But there's truthfully noplace to hide, no place to hide."
Enten put those findings into historical context.
"At this point in term two,independents, Trump is historicat this point," he said. "Look at this, 48points underwater, double as badas Obama was, double digitsworse than George W. Bush was atthis point. I was even lookingback to the '80s. He's worse than Ronald Reagan. Any president inthe last 50 years in terms ofhis economic net approval ratingamong independents at this pointin a second term, again, you canrun, but the truth is, there's noplace to hide if you're a Republican running forre-election."