For months, Democrats and their allies in the media have been clinging to the idea that Donald Trump’s underwater approval ratings would somehow guarantee them a triumphant showing in the upcoming midterms. But on Monday, CNN’s own numbers-cruncher threw cold water on that narrative, reminding viewers that Trump’s poll numbers don’t magically translate into Democratic victories.
CNN anchor Kate Bolduan asked Chief Data Analyst Harry Enten what the data really shows about where things stand politically.
And boy, Enten didn’t sugarcoat things at all for the Democrats.
He explained that polls showing Trump underwater don’t mean diddly squat because Democrats are still losing badly on the issues that matter most to voters. “At this particular point, the Democrats are the New Orleans Saints of political parties,” Enten quipped. “What are we talking about? Trust the Dems or GOP more on the economy. Who leads on the economy? Republicans by seven. Immigration? Republicans by 13. How about crime? A big issue for Donald Trump and the Republicans. Look at that: Lead by 22 points.”
That’s not a statistical blip—it’s a crushing advantage on all the top issues heading into the 2026 midterms. Enten warned Democrats not to assume Trump’s poll numbers would save them from their own failures. “At this particular point, it’s the Republicans who are running with the ball on the top issues, the economy, immigration, and crime,” he said.
Bolduan then pressed Enten to compare today’s numbers with the last time Republicans took control of the House. Enten’s answer was devastating. “The GOP is more trusted than the Dems on the economy. It was 12 points in 2022,” he explained. “Slight, slight decline in that lead, but still seven points. How about immigration? It was Republicans by three back in 2022. Look at this: the Republican lead’s actually gone up by 10 points!”
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“What are you doing, Democrats? My goodness gracious!” Enten said. “And on crime, the Republicans were up by 13, and now they’re up by 22.”
In other words, Republicans are in a stronger position now than they were in 2022, when they successfully took back the House. Enten concluded: “Whatever Democrats are doing, it ain’t working, Kate. It ain’t working. Republicans have the lead on all three issues.”
That wasn’t the end of it. Enten broke down why Democrats are floundering so badly: independents. “You win with independents, you win overall,” he explained. Among that crucial swing bloc, Republicans are leading by one point on the economy, ten points on immigration, and a staggering 21 points on crime. “The bottom line is, when you look at these numbers, Democrats should call their offices, because at this particular point, even if the public doesn’t like what Donald Trump is doing, they ain’t necessarily liking what Democrats are doing,” Enten explained.
And the implications are brutal for Democrats. As Enten summed it up, “It ain’t just a referendum on one party. You actually have to go out and beat that party. At this particular point, Democrats are not able to beat Republicans. They still, still lead on all issues.”
The economy will remain the decisive issue, and right now, Republicans are holding the advantage both overall and with independents. “At this particular point among independents, you see that one-point lead for Republicans. And overall, at least according to the Washington Post, they hold a seven-point lead on the economy overall as well,” Enten noted.
💥WOW — CNN breaks down how MASSIVE of a lead Republicans have over Democrats in the upcoming midterms:
“The Democrats have NOT picked up the ball!”
“The Republican lead has actually gone UP?!”
“What are you DOING Democrats?!” pic.twitter.com/N1LFplwZPw
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) September 22, 2025
For all the media spin about Trump dragging the GOP down, CNN’s own data guy just admitted what Democrats fear most: voters don’t trust them on the issues that actually decide elections.
Even CNN admits Republicans are stronger now than in 2022 when they took back the House. PJ Media cuts through their propaganda with hard facts and fearless reporting. Join PJ Media VIP with code FIGHT for 60% off and get exclusive content the establishment desperately wants buried. Support truth over spin!
