CNN Data Guru Shows Major Shifts on Ukraine Support Among Republicans as Trump Meets Putin: ‘Quite the Switcheroo!’

CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten pointed out some major shifts among Republicans on support for Ukraine just as President Donald Trump is set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

Enten joined anchor Kate Bolduan on Friday morning and even he was shocked pointing out polling showing Republicans have become far more supportive of Ukraine as the country continues to fight off an invasion by Russia.

“What a big change from where we were at the beginning of the Trump administration,” Enten said, bringing up data from Pew Research Center showing that 47% of Republicans thought in February that the United States was giving “too much” support to Ukraine. That number has now dropped to 30%.

The polling also showed that in February 30% of Republicans did not believe Ukraine was receiving too much support. That number has now jumped to 46%.

“We have had an inverse of the positions. The Republican Party has shifted at least a little bit on Ukraine, and now all of a sudden they don’t believe that, in fact, the US gives too much to support to Ukraine, which is very much unlike what we saw in February. Rarely do I see poll numbers like this,” Enten said. “You read the blogosphere, you read X, you might think that Republicans think that we’re way too much in Ukraine’s camp, but Republicans at large no longer believe that.”

Another shift has been on the specific issue of the US providing weapons and military supplies to Ukraine. Citing Chicago Council data, Enten showed that 30% of Republicans believed in March that the US should be supplying more to Ukraine, but the number has now jumped to 51%.

“Americans and Republicans are much more on the side of Ukraine than they used to be. It is quite the switcheroo from where we were just a few months ago,” Enten reported.

The same survey, conducted in late July, also showed a rare point that Republicans and Democrats mostly agree on: they all dislike Putin. According to the polling, 84% of Republicans have an unfavorable view of Putin and 93% of Democrats feel the same.

“You rarely ever find Democrats and Republicans united as much as they are on the issue of Vladimir Putin,” Enten said. “The bottom line is they don’t trust him and they don’t like him.”

Watch above via CNN.