‘A Wild Shift!’ CNN Data Guru Warns Youth Vote Revolt Sending Trump Polling ‘Underneath the Ocean Floor’
CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten warned that a dramatic collapse in support among younger Americans is the driving force behind President Donald Trump’s weak approval ratings, arguing new polling suggests voters under 50 have done a “180” against the president since the 2024 election.
Appearing on CNN News Central on Thursday, Enten walked host Katie Bolduan through the network’s new polling showing Trump’s standing deteriorating far more rapidly with Americans under 50 than with older age groups.
“Younger voters are fed up, and they’re taking their anger out on President Trump,” Enten said as he compared Trump’s position in the 2024 election with his current approval rating.
He noted that Trump trailed then-Vice President Kamala Harris by just three points among voters under 50 during the fall 2024 campaign. By contrast, the CNN polling average now places Trump’s net approval among that same group at negative 41 points.
“That is a shift of 38 points away from the president of the United States – he is falling through the floor!” Enten exclaimed. “The reason why President Trump is so unpopular at this point is the shift among younger voters, those under the age of 50, your Gen Z, your Millennials – they gave President Trump a little bit of a try in 2024. No longer! He is down there, right there underneath the ocean floor.”
Enten contrasted that with voters aged 50 and older, where he said the movement away from Trump has been less than half as large.
The analyst argued the trend could have major implications for control of Congress in November’s midterm elections, even though Trump himself will not be on the ballot.
Pointing to House preference polling, Enten said Democrats’ advantage among voters under 50 had expanded from a four-point edge during the 2024 campaign to a 17-point lead, but preferences among older voters had remained largely unchanged.
“The reason that they are likely to take back the U.S. House of Representatives is not older voters,” Enten said. “The key game that has shifted here, the key play that has shifted here is younger voters.”
Bolduan turned to voter enthusiasm, a traditional indicator of midterm turnout. Enten said Democrats now hold an overwhelming advantage among younger voters who describe themselves as “extremely motivated” to vote.
“These are ‘bam’ numbers,” he said, before noting Democrats now enjoy a 46-point advantage among highly motivated voters under 50.
Bolduan reacted by calling the findings “wild.”
“This is a wild shift,” Enten replied. “Taking the words right out of my mouth, we’re talking about a 44-point shift.”
He continued: “These are the types of numbers that blue waves are made of, and if there is a blue wave come November, it will be because of voters under the age of 50, younger voters who gave Republicans and President Trump a try in 2024, they are doing a 180 and they’re saying, ‘You know what, we’re going back to team blue’ – at least in the polling we see so far.”
Watch above via CNN.
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