CNN Analyst Calls Trump's Inflation Polling 'Laughably Bad,' Citing Historic Lows Among All Presidents
Key Takeaways
- •Trump's net approval on inflation is 50 points underwater in the latest CNN poll, a shift Enten called unprecedented among all presidents he examined.
- •Seventy percent of voters say the country is on the wrong track, with 50 percent of Republicans sharing that view.
- •Fifty-eight percent of Republicans and 78 percent of Americans nationwide believe Trump should prioritize lowering costs over his current agenda.
- •Newly appointed Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh left interest rates unchanged despite rising inflation and support from at least three Fed governors for an increase.
- •Consumer credit card rates remain near 20 percent and mortgage rates are at their highest since last August, limiting any relief from the Fed's decision.
President Donald Trump is steadily losing support among key voting groups outside his MAGA base, with CNN data analyst Harry Enten describing the deterioration as "laughably bad."
Amid a slowing economy and rising inflation, CNN host Sara Sidner asked Enten to assess the political damage for a president who won the 2024 election largely on his handling of inflation and the economy.
"Sara, the numbers are laughably bad. They are laughably bad. But no one is laughing about these because just take a look here. Trump's not up on inflation. Our latest CNN poll that has been coming out over the last few days, the net approval minus disapproval: 50 points underwater," Enten said.
Enten said he examined polling data for every past president he could locate and found no predecessor with comparably poor ratings. "That's an over 50-point shift from where we were before the election, where, of course, President Trump was more trusted on inflation than Kamala Harris, which is why he got a second term," he noted.
Sidner characterized the shift as "insane."
"Not only on gas prices, which of course is part of this equation, right? I mean, as I said, laughably bad. You just don't ever see numbers like this," Enten added.
On the question of whether the country is on the right track or the wrong track — a long-standing polling barometer that has historically tracked closely with the incumbent party's electoral performance — 70 percent of voters now say the United States is headed in the "wrong direction," while only 16 percent say it is on the "right track." Notably, 50 percent of Republicans agreed the country is on the wrong track.
"No wonder that President Trump is putting up historic numbers in the wrong direction when it comes to inflation," Enten said.
Among Republicans, 58 percent believe Trump is focused on the wrong priorities and should instead address lowering costs. Nationwide, 78 percent of Americans say he should tackle the affordability crisis.
Enten also noted that prediction markets had anticipated the Federal Reserve would raise interest rates in response to rising inflation, and at least three Fed governors supported a rate increase. The Federal Reserve operates under a dual congressional mandate to pursue price stability and maximum employment, making interest rate adjustments its primary lever for balancing those goals. Ultimately, however, newly appointed Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh opted to leave rates unchanged.
Reporting on the decision, PBS News stated on Thursday: "While the decision to stand pat could be seen as good news for consumers, they might not feel much relief with the average credit card rate still near 20 percent and mortgage rates the highest since last August."