CNN's Harry Enten stumped by Trump's pre-SOTU approval ratings: '47 points underwater'
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: CNN's chief data analyst Harry Enten said President Donald Trump is entering the State of the Union address on Tuesday, February 24, with the weakest polling numbers of his presidency.
New CNN polling places Trump’s overall job approval at 36%, with a net approval rating of minus 27 points.
Enten said that the figure is worse than Trump’s standing ahead of any previous State of the Union address and lower than any other president this century at a comparable point in their second term.
“He is weaker than any other president this century.” CNN data analyst Harry Enten is stunned by Trump’s record low approval rating. pic.twitter.com/ZdXpRvI2tH
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) February 23, 2026
Harry Enten says Trump's approval ratings are 'weak'
Borrowing a line from former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Enten summed up the numbers as “weak, weak, weak” while presenting the data on air.
“Look at that minus 27 points, my goodness gracious,” Enten said, adding that Trump’s standing is far below where it was during his first term.
He noted that Trump was at minus 10 points ahead of the 2020 address and at minus 15 points going into the 2019 and 2018 speeches.
“The bottom line is this: Donald Trump has never been weaker going into a State of the Union address, according to our CNN polling, than he is right now — and weaker by a considerable amount,” Enten said.
Enten also compared Trump’s numbers with those of other two-term presidents in the 21st century. Former President Barack Obama stood at minus 15 points at a similar stage, while former President George W Bush was at minus 11.
“So Trump isn’t just weaker than he’s ever been going into a State of the Union address,” Enten said. “He is weaker than any other president this century going into a State of the Union address at this point in their second term.”
Sharp drop in support from independent voters for Trump
Asked by CNN anchor Kate Bolduan what was driving the decline, Enten pointed to a sharp drop in support among independent voters.
He said Trump’s net approval among independents was at minus 47 points, the lowest level recorded for him in either of his terms.
“When you’re 47 points underwater with independents,” Enten said, “that’s the name of the game. You can’t be above water overall.”
