CNN's Harry Enten exposes 'absolutely awful' Dem approval as leaders go negative with own voters

'It screams to me when it comes to those next leadership elections, maybe something might be changing', Harry Enten said
CNN’s Harry Enten said Democrats' approval of their leaders had fallen to record lows among their own base (CNN/ Youtube)
CNN’s Harry Enten said Democrats' approval of their leaders had fallen to record lows among their own base (CNN/ Youtube)

ATLANTA, GEORGIA: A striking new data point, highlighted on CNN on Thursday, April 2, shows Democratic leadership facing an unusual crisis, not from opponents, but from within their own base.

Chief data analyst Harry Enten revealed that approval ratings for Democratic congressional leaders among Democrats themselves have dropped into negative territory, a rare and politically significant development.



Harry Enten says 'The bottom has fallen out'

Breaking down the trend, Enten emphasized just how dramatic the shift has been over time, pointing to historical midterm cycles under Republican presidents.

“In 2006, Dems’ net approval was plus 28. You go back to the last midterm, plus 19. Very much on the positive side of the line,” he explained, building context for what comes next.

Then came the sharp turn. “The bottom has fallen out,” Enten stressed, before delivering the headline number with emphasis: “Minus four points. That is Democrats' own net approval of their own congressional leaders.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks during a news conference after a policy luncheon on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, speaks during a news conference after a policy luncheon on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in Washington (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

He didn’t stop there, highlighting the political significance of the figure rather than just stating it plainly.

“Even Democrats don’t like their own leaders when it comes to Congress,” he said, calling the overall numbers “absolutely awful.”

Enten suggested that internal dissatisfaction was no longer a fringe issue but something more widespread.

U.S. President Donald Trump answers questions during a press conference on recent Supreme Court rulings in the briefing room at the White House on June 27, 2025 in Washington, DC. The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that individual judges cannot grant nationwide injunctions to block executive orders, including the injunction on President Trump’s effort to eliminate birthright citizenship in the U.S. The justices did not rule on Trump’s order to end birthright citizenship but stopped his order from taking effect for 30 days. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump answers questions during a press conference on recent Supreme Court rulings in the briefing room at the White House on June 27, 2025, in Washington, DC (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

He added that the environment "screams primary challenges across the map" and could reshape internal leadership battles. "It screams to me when it comes to those next leadership elections, maybe something might be changing," he said.

Harry Enten spells trouble for Trump

Discussing recent legal developments around Trump's birthright citizenship push, he said prediction markets viewed the situation as “an absolute train wreck for the president of the United States.”

He quantified that shift with a steep drop in expectations: what had been a 20% chance of Trump’s order taking effect “went through the basement, just a 7% chance,” adding that “people were putting their money where their mouths are.”

President Donald Trump leaves the U.S. Supreme Court, Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
President Donald Trump leaves the Supreme Court, Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Washington (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

At the same time, Enten highlighted a major shift in public opinion on immigration - a key issue tied to the broader political climate.

“This is one of the biggest switches that we’ve really seen,” he said, noting support for birthright citizenship has climbed to “a very nice 69%,” while opposition has fallen to 31%.

Zooming out further, he added that “a record high percentage of Americans now say that immigration is good for the United States,” calling attention to a jump to 79% overall, including a sharp rise among Republicans.

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