CNN’s Harry Enten warns Trump’s approval is in ‘Death Valley,’ hurting JD Vance’s 2028 chances
ATLANTA, GEORGIA: President Donald Trump’s approval ratings have plunged to what CNN’s Harry Enten called 'Death Valley' levels, with the data expert warning the slide is now hitting Vice President JD Vance as well.
Laying out the numbers on CNN on March 31, Tuesday, Enten said the decline shows 'no sign of any bottom', adding that when it comes to Vance’s 2028 prospects, 'down he goes to a 37% chance tied for his all-time low.'
The stark warning came as Enten walked viewers through what he described as a long, uninterrupted collapse in Trump’s standing - one that is now creating political 'collateral damage.'
A steady fall into the abyss for Trump's net approval, as it falls into Death Valley. He's now at a term 2 low: -18 pts.
— (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) March 31, 2026
Big reason why: Independents. Trump's at -45 pts.
The worst for any prez at this point in term 2. Worse than Nixon (-36 pts) at the height of Watergate! pic.twitter.com/DLbtXDzrkP
Harry Enten flags trouble for JD Vance
Enten used dramatic language to describe the trend, saying, “We are talking as low as Death Valley, there is no bottom. Death Valley, Death Sea, that is how low we are going.”
He stressed that the decline isn’t tied to one controversy but a cumulative effect: “It is not one event that is dragging Donald Trump down. It's a slew of events that have continuously dropped his net approval rating.”
Walking through the numbers, he added, “You go back to last year when he was sworn in, he was at plus six points. And now, all the way down to minus 18 points.”
Even a major geopolitical shift may not reverse the trend, Enten suggested: “Let’s just say that somehow we got out of the Iran war tomorrow, it might climb a little bit, but there is no sign of rising.”
He contrasted this with Trump’s first term, noting, “In term one, he was actually rising. His three-month change was up by five points,” whereas now, “we’re talking about a three-month change in which he has fallen to minus 18 points and there is no sign of any bottom.”
The fallout, Enten warned, isn’t limited to Trump. Turning to the Vice President, he said, “Others close to him, the vice president of the United States, chance that JD Vance is a 2028 Republican nominee.”
“Six months ago, he was at a 53% chance. Down he goes down to a 37% chance, tied for his all-time low.”
'Eye-popping' numbers among independents deepen concerns
Enten highlighted independent voters as a major warning sign, calling the data “eye-popping indeed.”
He said, “This number, if there's one big number from this, is that Donald Trump now has the worst net approval rating among independents of any president ever at this point in Term 2.”
He then compared Trump to past presidents under pressure saying, “He is worse than Richard Nixon, worse than George W. Bush and worse than Richard Nixon when impeachment hearings were underway.”
Emphasizing the scale, he added, “He’s nearly 10 points worse, My goodness gracious.”
