CNN's Harry Enten says Americans more bullish on markets under Trump than past administrations

ATLANTA, GEORGIA: CNN’s chief data analyst Harry Enten said on Friday, February 13, that new polling shows Americans are unusually optimistic about the stock market during President Donald Trump’s second term, more so than at the same stage under former presidents Barack Obama or George W Bush.

According to the data Enten cited, half of Americans expect stocks to rise over the next six months.

That figure exceeds comparable second-term readings for Obama (42%) and Bush (41%), marking the highest level of forward-looking market confidence for a president at this point in the 21st century.

Harry Enten says 50% expect stocks to rise under Trump which makes it the highest second-term optimism this century (Getty Images)

Harry Enten cites hig confidence in stock market under Trump

Breaking down the numbers on-air, Enten stressed that the optimism is forward-looking- not just based on recent gains.

“Take a look at where, at this point, Donald Trump is in his second term, 50% of Americans say they believe that stocks will rise in the next six months,” Enten said.

“That is, in fact, the highest percentage for any president in their second term at this point in the 21st century”, he added.

He further said “It’s not just that Americans think that the stock market is doing well now. They expect it to continue to do well. And that 50 percent is quite unusual for a president at this point in their second term."

The Dow Jones Industrial Average has performed strongly overall during Trump’s time in office.

After it reached a record high of 50,000 recently, Trump even predicted the index would touch 100,000 before he leaves office.

Optimism on stocks contrasts with broader economic doubts

The upbeat outlook on equities contrasts with broader dissatisfaction over the economy. Polling averages show 55% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy overall.

A CBS News poll found 55% believe prices are still rising with many expecting the economy to slow this year.

Sentiment toward the market itself has improved markedly since April 2025, when only 27% described the stock market as “good” and 56% viewed it negatively.

That has since shifted to 40% rating it positively and 22% negatively.

Among Democrats and independents, 30% say the market is in “fairly good” shape, while just 10% of Democrats and 9% of independents describe it as “very bad.”