’55 Points Underwater!’ CNN’s Harry Enten Laughs in Shock as Congressional Dems Hit ‘Lowest Ever’ Ratings

CNN data guru Harry Enten laughed out loud in disbelief during his review of a stark new poll that paints a grim picture for congressional Democrats, finding that they’ve hit their “lowest ever” net approval rating.

Running through the latest Quinnipiac polling on CNN Thursday with the data displayed on the big board in the studio, Enten opened to warn that “in the minds of the American public” Democrats “are lower than the Dead Sea.” For a party hoping to reclaim majorities in the 2026 midterms, he argued, the numbers read like a warning flare.

Getting into the figures with network anchor Kate Bolduan, Enten said: “The net approval rating for Democrats in Congress? The lowest ever. Look at this! Overall, they are 55 points underwater. Their approval rating is south of 20%. It’s even worse when you look at independents. Look at this: -61 points! That means that their approval rating is 61 points lower than their disapproval rating!”

“Quinnipiac has been polling this question for the better part of the 21st century,” he explained. “They have never found Democrats, at least those in Congress, and worse shape than they are right now.”

He continued to argue that what makes the situation more politically dangerous is that the collapse is not limited to swing voters. Democrats themselves have turned sharply against their own party in Congress.

“This is Democrats on Democrats!” Enten said, flashing up another graphic which showed congressional Democrats’ ratings with their own party’s voters having dropped from +22 points in October to -6 in November.

“That’s a 28-point decline!” he explained: “Falling through the floor!”

The shift, he added, marks a dramatic reversal from the autumn, when a government shutdown briefly gave Democrats a boost in a rally that has since evaporated.

“Democrats did not like how that shutdown turned out,” Enten said, adding that the base has now “returned against Democrats in Congress.”

The immediate question, raised by Bolduan, is whether Democrats can still win control of Congress despite these numbers.

Enten’s answer was cautious: “The answer is yes. But in my mind, it’s definitely hurting them.” He pointed to the generic congressional ballot, where Democrats currently lead by just 4 points.

“Historically, that is quite weak,” he said, pointing to past cycles under Republican presidents when Democrats were ahead by around 10 points at a comparable stage.

The data analyst added that a lot of Democrats seem to think they can “spike that ball in the end zone,” but he warned that while the party might be on its way to a congressional majority, midterm success “might be a tougher road to hoe than normally.”

“Especially if you see that change from October,” Bolduan said, letting out a stunned laugh also, before adding: “A lot can change.”

Enten agreed, but with a caveat for Democrats: “When you have numbers like this, hold the phone just a second.”

Watch above via CNN.