CNN data analyst Harry Enten (Photo: Screen capture)
CNN data analyst Harry Enten sounded the alarm that President Donald Trump appears "so politically tone deaf" around issues like the economy and affordability.
Speaking on CNN Friday, Enten addressed the high fuel costs that are soaring as a result of renewed bombing in the Middle East. While Trump's name isn't on the ballot in 2026, his party and his policies are.
When asked whether they believe that the Iran war was worth the high gas prices, 65 percent of Americans said "no." These numbers were before the huge increase in costs over the last few days, Enten added.
On one end, he said, Trump is claiming "it is what it is," while Americans disagree.
CNN host Sara Sidner asked if that translates to all Republicans.
"If there's any fantasy that is out there that somehow what is going on, the blame that's being put on the White House won't funnel its way down ballot? Well, I'm here to extinguish that false belief," said Enten.
In polling done before the recent escalation of the Iran war, only 27 percent of Americans blame Democrats for high fuel prices, while 65 percent blame Republicans.
"Look at this lion's share again, this two and three," he repeated, showing two in three Americans blame Republicans for high gas prices.
"So all that pain that Americans feel that they are putting ... on Donald Trump, that idea that it won't funnel its way down the ballot — as I said at the beginning, it is a false belief. It, simply put, isn't true. Republicans, it is quite unlikely that they will be able to escape the blame that is being put on the White House when it comes to the ballot box come this November if the gas prices remain where they are," Enten continued.
Sidner added that Republicans hold all of the power in Washington, and Enten agreed.
Enten went on to say that one of the main reasons that Trump got elected in 2024 was because of high inflation. It was on a downward trajectory, but under his administration, his decisions have led to higher inflation. In 2024, Americans trusted Trump more on dealing with inflation by six points. Today, that number has more than flipped, with Americans trusting Democrats more by a ten-point margin.
The numbers come from a recent Fox News poll, and Enten said it's the largest number that Democrats have held on inflation in a Fox News poll.