Kristi Noem was dragging Trump down, 58% voters wanted her fired: CNN's Harry Enten

ATLANTA, GEORGIA: CNN data analyst Harry Enten said former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had become a political burden for Donald Trump, pointing to polling that showed a majority of Americans wanted her removed from the post even before the controversy surrounding her testimony.

During a discussion on CNN on Friday, March 6, Enten argued that Trump’s decision to remove Noem from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) aligned with public sentiment, citing surveys showing widespread dissatisfaction with her performance.

Harry Enten says 'Americans wanted Noem out'

Explaining the polling data, Enten said voters had already turned against Noem weeks before she was ousted.

He noted that a Quinnipiac University poll found a majority of Americans wanted her out.

“The American people wanted her fired. They wanted her removed. She was a political nightmare for the president of the United States,” Enten said while presenting the data.

According to the poll, 58% of Americans supported removing Noem as DHS secretary, while opposition to her was even stronger among independents.

“Among independents, 62% wanted her to be adios amigos, goodbye, see you later,” Enten said. “More than three in five independents wanted to kick her to the curb.”

He concluded that Trump’s move to remove her was politically advantageous.

“Donald Trump here making the politically popular move because Americans were simply put sick of Kristi Noem.”

Noem never had positive approval ratings, Enten says

Enten also argued that Noem’s weak political standing was not a recent development but a persistent trend throughout Trump’s second term.

He pointed out that polling consistently showed her approval ratings underwater. “The idea that Kristi Noem is unpopular is not a new phenomenon,” Enten said.

Looking at surveys conducted during Trump’s presidency, he added that Noem never recorded a positive net approval rating.

“Positive in none, zero, nada, none of the polls did she have a positive net approval rating,” Enten said.

 “In every single poll she was underwater, swimming in the deep blue sea.”

Enten also argued that Noem’s leadership of the Department of Homeland Security had begun affecting Trump politically on one of his most important issues - immigration.

According to the Enten, Trump’s approval on immigration had fallen sharply during her tenure.

“This idea that Donald Trump could somehow contain Kristi Noem to just her own little part of the world and it wouldn’t affect him, that is political fantasy,” Enten said.

He pointed to polling showing Trump’s net approval on immigration had dropped significantly.

“You go back a little over a year ago, he was on the plus side of the ledger, plus seven points,” Enten explained. “But now it’s down to minus 17 points.”

Among independent voters, the drop was even steeper. “Among independents he went from plus three to minus 30 points,” Enten said, adding that Noem’s performance had “crushed Donald Trump on such a key issue for him.”

Enten discusses Markwayne Mullin

During the segment, Enten also discussed the political implications of Trump nominating Markwayne Mullin to replace Noem.

If Mullin is confirmed, it would create an open Senate seat in Oklahoma but Enten said Republicans are overwhelmingly favored to retain it.

Prediction market data suggested the GOP has about a 95% chance of winning the race, reflecting the state’s strong Republican lean.

“Oklahoma is a red state and will continue to be red,” Enten said, noting that the last Democrat elected to the Senate from the state was David Boren in 1990.