Key Takeaway: CNN data analyst Harry Enten called President Trump’s inflation polling “historically awful,” with net approval about 50 points underwater according to Reuters/Ipsos (-52 in May, -48 in June, -50 in July and August). Enten said Trump has recorded the 11 worst individual inflation readings since April and is the first president to be 50 points underwater on this metric. He also highlighted a roughly 60-point swing away from Trump on inflation since the 2024 campaign and cited Kalshi data showing a candidate’s odds rising from 14% to 80% after Trump’s endorsement.
CNN’s Harry Enten: Trump’s Inflation Ratings ‘Historically Awful’ — About 50 Points Underwater
CNN's Harry Enten said President Donald Trump's polling numbers have hit historic lows (CNN)
Harry Enten, CNN’s chief data analyst, delivered a blunt assessment Tuesday of President Donald Trump’s standing on inflation, calling the numbers “historically awful” and saying the president’s net approval on the issue is “lower than the Titanic.” Enten cited Reuters/Ipsos polling that shows Trump’s net inflation approval roughly 50 points underwater — recorded at -52 in May, -48 in June and -50 in both July and August.
Enten stressed the persistence of the problem: “These numbers are historically awful and they've been historically awful for a long period of time. You just don't ever see numbers like this,” he said while walking through month-by-month data. After reciting the monthly readings he added: “I mean, it's lower than the Titanic, for goodness sake.”
The analyst said Trump has registered the 11 worst individual presidential readings on inflation since April and is the first U.S. president to post a net inflation rating 50 points underwater.
Trump recently deemed Enten his favorite journalist at CNN (AFP/Getty)
John Berman: “No other president? You're telling me this is worse than it was for Joe Biden in 2022?”
Harry Enten: He noted that President Joe Biden’s inflation rating hit 38 points underwater in August 2022 but was improving at that time — unlike the persistent decline Enten says he now sees for Trump.
Enten also framed the broader political impact: inflation was a decisive issue in the 2024 campaign and initially helped Trump over his opponent, but Enten described roughly a 60-point swing against Trump on the issue since then. “There is no sign of improvement on this issue of inflation. The issue that got Donald Trump re-elected to the White House and is still the number one issue in the minds of the American electorate,” he said, “he's stuck 50 points underwater in a place that no other president has ever been before.”
Despite years of calling CNN “fake news,” Trump recently praised Enten on Truth Social, calling him “the best person on CNN” and urging the network not to fire him after Enten’s data-driven coverage. Trump also cited analyses that, in his words, portray him as especially popular compared with historic presidents.
Enten’s reporting extended to the measurable effects of Trump’s endorsements. Citing data from the prediction market Kalshi, Enten said a candidate’s primary odds jumped from about 14% to roughly 80% after receiving Trump’s endorsement — illustrating the former president’s continued influence in GOP primaries.
Bottom line: Enten says the inflation numbers are unusually poor for any president and persist over several months; they represent a notable political vulnerability for Trump heading into future electoral contests.
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