CNN's Harry Enten shocked by John Fetterman's huge fall to -40 points approval among Democrats
ATLANTA, GEORGIA: CNN data analyst Harry Enten is raising serious questions about the political future of Democrat John Fetterman, pointing to a sharp decline in his standing among party voters, one that comes as internal tensions, including major disagreements over his vote to advance a full-year funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Speaking on CNN News Central on Friday, March 20, Enten suggested that the numbers paint a troubling picture for the Pennsylvania senator.
Harry Enten lays out 'disastrous' numbers for John Fetterman
Breaking down the data, Enten emphasized just how dramatically Fetterman’s popularity has fallen within his own base.
“I would just say that John Fetterman is doing as well with Pennsylvania Democrats as the New York Giants are as liked in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”
He then contrasted Fetterman’s earlier standing with his current position saying “Back in 2023, he was a Democrat, liberal darling, at plus-68 points. Look at how low he has fallen, down to minus-40 points.”
Enten dramatically added, “He's down there with the Titanic among Democrats in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”
Anchor John Berman highlighted the scale of the shift saying “This is 108-point swing.”
Even Enten appeared stunned. “Wait a minute, 108-point swing, you never see anything like that.. my goodness gracious”, he added.
Harry Enten draws stark comparison
To underline how unusual the situation is, Enten compared John Fetterman’s numbers with senators who previously lost primaries.
“Bob Smith plus-15, Arlen Specter plus-13, Joe Lieberman plus-six, Dick Lugar at zero, Lisa Murkowski was at minus-15 points.”
He then delivered the key point: “All of these were considerably more popular than John Fetterman is right now at minus-40 points.”
“There is no historical analog to this. That is how unpopular John Fetterman is with Pennsylvania Democrats.”
Looking ahead, Enten made a clear prediction about what Fetterman could face if he seeks re-election.
“There is basically no doubt in my mind that if Fetterman decides to run for re-election as a Democrat, he will face a primary challenge. It will be a very competitive one.”
With intra-party tensions rising and key votes like DHS funding adding to the friction, Fetterman’s political standing appears increasingly fragile.
According to Enten’s analysis, the scale of his decline isn’t just notable, it’s historically unprecedented, leaving the Democrat with a steep uphill battle if he chooses to stay in the race.
