Fox contributor Kaylee McGhee White told viewers on The Five that Donald Trump’s weak poll numbers result from inflated voter expectations rather than policy failures, citing an 87% approval rating among Republicans. CNN analyst Harry Enten’s more recent analysis shows Trump has been "underwater for 281 days" and trails on major issues like immigration, the economy and trade. Trump has publicly disputed commonly reported economic indicators, and both parties are preparing for consequential midterms.
Fox Contributor Says Trump’s Low Polls Come From ‘Setting Expectations Too High’
President Donald Trump dances on stage during a rally at the Rocky Mount Event Center on Dec. 19, 2025. / Tasos Katopodis / Getty Images
President Donald Trump has continued to register poor results across a string of national polls, with surveys showing growing voter dissatisfaction, concerns about household finances, and a preference among many Americans for alternatives to his leadership.
On Fox News’ panel show The Five, contributor Kaylee McGhee White offered a different explanation: she argued that Trump’s weak approval numbers are not primarily the result of policy failures but stem from voters holding him to exceptionally high expectations.
White’s Defense
White told co-host Charles Hurt that while Trump’s approval is "down from where it was earlier in the year," that decline was to be expected. "In some ways Trump is a victim of his own success in that voters expect a lot from him because they know that he can deliver on it," she said, pointing to an 87% approval rating among Republican voters as the figure that matters most.
“We hear a lot about how Trump’s approval ratings are cratering and blah blah blah... I mean, look, yes, they’re down from where they were earlier in the year; that’s to be expected.” — Kaylee McGhee White
White, who is editor-in-chief of Independent Women’s Features, listed what she described as Trump’s key accomplishments over the past year — including military action against Iran, tougher enforcement on illegal immigration, and restrictions affecting transgender women’s participation in some public spaces — and claimed broad public agreement on those issues.
Polling Context
Kaylee McGhee White on The Five. / Fox News
White cited analysis from CNN’s Margin of Error host Harry Enten (Nov. 25) as backing for her point. But Enten’s more recent work paints a different picture: he has reported that Trump has been “underwater for 281 days in a row” and is viewed negatively on major topics such as immigration, the economy, and trade.
“The American people don’t like what Trump is doing and they haven’t liked what Trump is doing for a long period of time.” — Harry Enten
Trump’s Messaging
Trump has pushed back against negative public perceptions, challenging widely reported economic indicators during a Dec. 18 address in which he disputed figures on gasoline prices, unemployment and affordability. Independent fact-checkers have flagged several of his claims as misleading or inaccurate.
Political Stakes
As midterm elections approach, both parties are sharpening their narratives. The Republican National Committee chair has warned of a “pending, looming disaster” for the party in upcoming contests, while White argued Democrats are focusing on Trump’s polls as a kind of political "cope," saying the party lacks a clear next-generation leader to replace him.
The exchanges highlight the growing gulf between how some conservative commentators interpret polling data and the broader, more negative trends highlighted by independent analysts.
