CNN’s data guru was on the receiving end of rare praise from President Donald Trump, but hours later he delivered a reality check that was far less flattering.
During a campaign rally in Kalispell, Montana, Trump played footage of CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten discussing the president's popularity among MAGA Republicans. Trump was impressed with the clip, heaping praise on the CNN star.
"He's very good," Trump told the crowd, before joking that Enten may be out of the job the next day, implying that the network doesn’t tolerate praise about him.
But on Thursday morning, Enten was back on CNN with stats that the president would not be playing in any rally. He showed that Trump's support among voters 30 and younger has collapsed.
Appearing alongside anchor John Berman, Enten showed a new Fox News poll that said the president's net approval rating among those younger voters is at minus 50 points.
In October 2024, the same age group viewed Trump more favorably than unfavorably, giving him a positive three-point net rating, which represents a damning 53-point swing against him in two years.
"It's absolutely stunning," Enten said.
The figures are meaningful because young voters were a key group in his political comeback in 2024. Trump embraced young influencers and made sure podcasts and social media were a part of his campaigning. However, those young voters were expecting him to keep his promises on no wars and bringing the cost of living down.
The Fox survey reveals that young voters are overwhelmingly against his handling of the economy, as 91% of voters 30 and younger disapprove of Trump's handling of inflation, meaning fewer than one in 10 approve.
Enten gave a dramatic depiction of how damaging the poll is for Trump:
“There are more Americans who think that we fake the moon landing than the percentage of young voters who actually approve of the job that Trump is doing on inflation. These numbers are some of the worst I have ever seen in any poll, on any issue for any president,” he said.
The cost of living is an ongoing preoccupation for those who have to put in the work to pay rent, buy groceries, and cover their gas. With the Iran war pushing the national average for gasoline to about $4.30 a gallon and September’s inflation clocking in at 3.7%, it is no surprise. Fox reports that six out of 10 voters cite the cost of living as their primary economic issue, outranking jobs and taxes.
In the wider view of its survey, Fox News has given the White House little to be pleased with. Trump’s approval has dropped to 36%, the lowest the network has ever recorded, with 64% in disapproval. The polling of 1,202 registered voters from Oct. 9-12 also put Democrats ahead of Republicans on the congressional ticket, 54% to 45%.
There was a marked difference from the rally on Wednesday. In a video he put out with some pride, Trump displayed his standing with MAGA Republicans at 98%, not far off the 99% who were with him in 2024. While that core of support is undiminished, the figures from Thursday indicate the president will have a harder time with the rest of his audience.
- YouTube www.youtube.com
