President Donald Trump is flunking an important test with voters, according to CNN data analyst Harry Enten.
The long-awaited inflation report, which has been delayed due to the ongoing government shutdown, is due tomorrow, but consumers have already been seeing for themselves that costs have moved higher due to rising fuel costs and tariffs, and polling shows they're dissatisfied with the president's handling of the economy.
"My mama was a doctor and I think she'd look at these numbers and say that Donald Trump's doing absolutely awful in the minds of the American people," Enten said. "What are we talking about? We're talking about new lows for Donald Trump, he's hit new lows for himself. Trump's economic net approval rating hits lows with these pollsters. CNBC, look at this down now, minus-13 points on the net approval rating on the economy. You come to this side of the screen, it's minus-19 points among Quinnipiac, and keep in mind we're talking about hitting record lows for Donald Trump in either his first term, which, of course, ended back in 2021, or his second term, which is ongoing right now. The bottom line is Donald Trump is at the lowest point ever in either of his terms."
"But compare it to presidents historically, yeah, let's take a look at this," Enten added. "Donald Trump is beating himself, and the way you don't want to beat yourself record lows. But let's compare it to other presidents. Well, let's take a look here, okay: Worst economic net approval ratings at this point among presidents since 1977, and the presidency, right, this is a new Donald Trump presidency. Look at this: He's the worst for any presidency at this point. How about the second term come to this side of the screen? Of course, Trump's in his second term, he's the worst for any president at their second term at this point. So Donald Trump isn't just beating himself with record lows. This is the lowest for any president ever at this point in either a presidency or for a second term. Donald Trump is setting the types of records you simply put, do not want to set."
The shutdown has the potential to send those numbers even lower, Enten said.
"Donald Trump is right now at the trough in terms of his net approval rating on the economy," he said. "Well, if there's any economic blame to go around because of the shutdown, blame for any economic pain caused by the shutdown, well, look at this. Trump and the GOP gets 53 percent, you see Democrats here at 37 percent. Among independents that key part in the center of the electorate, they're even more likely to blame Trump and the GOP at 58 percent versus 21 percent for the Dems."
"So the bottom line is this ahead of this key inflation report tomorrow, right now, the grade for Donald Trump among the American people is really an F," Enten added, "at least compared to other presidents, and if the shutdown causes any more pain that F could somehow become even worse, and I think the key question is, will that report tomorrow show Donald Trump in a worse position? Well, we'll just have to wait and see and find out, because at this particular point, the polling suggests that that inflation report tomorrow, if it follows the polls, will be, let's just say, not so hot to trot."
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