SWIMMING WITH THE FISHES

CNN Data Guru Reveals Trump’s Devastating Drop in Approval Rating

Donald Trump is so far underwater he’s “hanging out with Jacques Cousteau,” says CNN analyst.

President Trump has suffered a devastating plunge in his approval ratings, according to CNN data guru Harry Enten.

Enten, speaking on Inside Politics Sunday, said that Trump’s approval rating has swung from +6 in January to -12 in December.

“Look, 2025 was not exactly the best year for the president of the United States. He started off in pretty gosh darn good territory, right? Trump’s net approval rating in January, he was 6 points above water, pretty much above where he was during his entire first term in office. But look what happens come December—12 points underwater. Way, way down there. That is an 18-point decline during the course of the year,” Enten said.

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CNN’s chief data analyst revealed that Trump’s ranking of independent voters has caused the massive drop. “Now, what has driven Donald Trump’s decline in his net approval rating? Well, it’s independents. That is the name of the game, baby,” he said, before crunching the numbers.

The data made for grim reading for Trump’s supporters. In January, when Trump entered office, his net approval rating was -1. It’s now a staggering -43, according to Enten.

“Look, in January, Donald Trump’s approval rating among independents was about even, minus one point. Not too hot to trot, but not too bad either. Now, we’re talking about 43 points underwater come December. That is a decline of 42 points on his net approval rating,” he explained.

Describing Trump’s predicament with a gag, Enten quipped: “Donald Trump is hanging out with Jacques Cousteau. That is how far underwater Donald Trump is with independents at this point.”

Jacques Cousteau was a French oceanographer and filmmaker who plumbed the depths of the world’s waters and was later depicted by Bob Murray in the 2004 Wes Anderson film, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.

Two issues fueled the slide in Trump’s approval: the economy and immigration. On the economy, he began his term with a net approval of +9 in January, but that rating dropped 25 points to -16 by December. His standing on immigration followed a similar trajectory, falling 15 points over the same period, from +9 in January to -6 by December.

More than 61 percent of people say the president is making prices and inflation sound far more rosy than they actually are, according to the results of a new YouGov/CBS poll, with a further 45 percent saying they expect his policies to leave them financially worse off in 2026. Just 31 percent of respondents have a positive view of Trump’s economic stewardship, according to an AP-NORC poll released earlier this month.

Enten said the trend suggested Trump’s party was headed for significant losses in the midterm elections. “Based upon history, it doesn’t look too good for the man in charge of the White House right now,” he said.

The White House has been contacted for comment.

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