CNN Data Guru Declares Trump ‘Underwater on Basically Every Issue He Ran On,’ With Epstein Numbers Are ‘Especially Dreadful’
CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten reported on Thursday that President Donald Trump is “underwater on basically every issue” he ran on in 2024, but his approval rating on the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein emails is “especially dreadful.”
Enten joined Sara Sidner on CNN News Central on Thursday to break down Trump’s slumping numbers, including on drama centered on Epstein, the late child sex trafficker and former friend of the president’s.
“Donald Trump is underwater on basically every single issue he ran on in 2024, but the Epstein files, the Epstein case, are especially dreadful for him,” Enten reported.
Thousands of new documents related to Epstein were released this week by lawmakers, including emails where the late billionaire referenced Trump by name. The president was not accused of any wrongdoing in the correspondences, but they have raised new questions about his relationship with Epstein. The White House accused Democrats and the media of pushing a “fake narrative” to “embarrass” the president.
Epstein died of an apparent suicide in 2019 while facing sex trafficking charges. His longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell is currently serving 20 years for sex trafficking. Trump is facing bipartisan calls — and a discharge petition — for more files related to Epstein to be released. Trump’s DOJ set off critics earlier this year by denying Epstein was sex trafficking for friends and high-profile associates.
Enten showed on Thursday that Trump, based on aggregate polling, has a negative net approval on everything from immigration (negative 5%) to the economy (negative 18%). On his handling of the Epstein case, according to Enten, he has a negative net approval of negative 39 points.
“He is 39 points below water on the Epstein case. His net approval is 39 points in the negative. My goodness gracious, what Donald Trump has been selling on the Epstein files, the Epstein case, the American people, simply put, have not been buying at all,” he said.
Enten then presented a Marist University survey from September, which shows that even a majority of Republicans disapprove of the handling of the Epstein case. While Trump carries an 87% approval among Republicans in the survey, just 45% approve on Epstein.
“Look, we’re not necessarily sure whether or not this case has moved the ball on Trump’s overall approval rating yet, but I can tell you that the more that this case is in the news, the worse it is for Donald Trump, because simply put, it is his worst issue by far,” Enten said.
Watch above via CNN.
