On Wednesday, CNN's chief data analyst Harry Enten delivered a stark assessment of President Donald Trump's standing on inflation, describing it as the “worst position” he has ever faced. This comes as Trump’s approval ratings plunge into negative territory, a level that Joe Biden never reached during his tenure.
“These are the worst numbers I’ve ever seen for any president,” Enten stated, referencing the troubling statistics regarding Trump’s management of the nation’s top concern in a segment aired last week. (For further insights, check out his latest analysis below.)
With gas prices soaring to wartime levels and inflation spiking to its highest point in two years, Trump’s net approval rating has plummeted to an alarming -49 points, according to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll.
This figure places Trump six points deeper “underwater” than Biden ever was, Enten noted. Biden recorded a -43 net approval rating on inflation in June 2022, a month marked by peak inflation during his presidency.
“These are really stunning numbers right here,” Enten remarked, emphasizing the gravity of the situation.
He pointed out that the current inflation rate is about one-third of what it was nearly four years ago. “Yet Trump’s numbers are significantly worse than Biden’s ever were,” he stressed, highlighting the stark contrast.
As the discussion progressed, Enten compared Trump’s figures to those of former President Jimmy Carter, whose presidency was severely impacted by inflation. Just before being defeated by Ronald Reagan in the 1980 election, Carter held a -46 net approval rating on inflation, placing Trump in an even more precarious position.
With overwhelming disapproval regarding Trump’s handling of inflation, a staggering 75% of independents believe the U.S. is heading in the wrong direction concerning the cost of living, while only 9% think it is on the right track, according to the Reuters/Ipsos poll.
Among Republicans, the sentiment is slightly less dire; 45% feel the U.S. is on the wrong track, closely followed by 39% who believe it is on the right path.
“Donald Trump has lost every single part of this electorate,” Enten concluded. “When you remove his name from the equation, even a plurality of Republicans agree that the country is on the wrong track regarding [the cost of living].”
