Trump chuckles while bragging about '100 per cent' CNN poll: ‘That is an honor!’

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump found a moment of levity amid mounting questions about the escalating war in Iran, courtesy of an unlikely poll that lit up his day.

The president laughed as he touted a survey on CNN showing him with a “100 per cent” approval rating among members of the “MAGA Movement,” calling it “an honor” and noting his surprise that the network aired it at all.

The moment came during a press gaggle on the North Lawn of the White House, where Trump stood alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio before departing for Mar-a-Lago. While most of the back-and-forth centered on military strategy and the situation in Iran, Trump veered into polling and his standing with supporters.

Trump sidesteps war talk to pat himself on the back

The bulk of the exchange focused on the conflict in Iran, which is now stretching into its third week and raising concerns about instability in the Middle East and potential global economic fallout. Trump was confident, insisting “we’ve won” when pressed about the status of the conflict. He also predicted that the Strait of Hormuz would “open itself.”

The President brushed off the possibility of a ceasefire. “I don’t want to do a ceasefire. You know, you don’t do a ceasefire when you’re literally obliterating the other side," he said.

Questions soon turned to US troop movements in the region, including reports that an additional 2,500 Marines could be deployed. "Are you deploying the additional troops for deterrence or to optimize your operational capability?" a reporter asked.

"Well, I would say this, that if I told you the answer to that question, my military people would be very happy," Trump responded. "So we have a lot of troops, we have unlimited ammunition, we have the greatest equipment in the world, and we are decimating Iran. It’s about time. And frankly, it should have been done long before me. It should have been done before other people."

"There have been reports that the United States might be sending 2,500 Marines to the Middle East. Are you concerned that a move like that could potentially change–?" the reporter followed up.

"Well, I don’t know. I seem to have great support, because CNN came out with a poll today that I’m at 100 percent!" Trump said, chuckling. "And they said they’ve never seen a poll like that. The CNN poll said I’m 100 per cent, and they’ve never seen that before, which is an honor. I was impressed that CNN would do that."

"But as far as troops are concerned, I can’t tell you what we’re doing," he added.

The poll that lit up CNN

The poll Trump referenced had already been making waves earlier in the week, thanks to a segment by CNN data guru Harry Enten that went viral.

Enten broke down the numbers on News Central, pointing to a crosstab from a recent NBC News survey that showed Trump with unanimous approval among self-identified MAGA voters.

“Sometimes you look at the polling data and there are numbers that just jump off the screen at you and this is one of those,” Enten said on News Central, referring to Trump's 100 per cent approval, zero disapproval within MAGA.

“You don’t have to be a mathematical genius to know you can’t go higher than one hundred percent,” Enten said, drawing a comparison to “the 1972 Miami Dolphins,” who won the Super Bowl that year.

Enten noted that while some Republicans do disapprove of Trump, they fall outside the MAGA umbrella.

“Now, there are some Republicans who disapprove of Donald John Trump, but they are not members of the Make America Great Again movement,” Enten added. “The bottom line is this: if you are a member of MAGA, you approve of Donald Trump.”