CNN’s Harry Enten Says ‘Massive’ Voter Shift On Immigration Will Allow Trump to ‘Do What He Wants’

CNN senior data reporter Harry Enten argued current polling strongly suggests President Donald Trump’s mass deportation plans fall in line with most Americans.

Joining CNN’s Kate Bolduan on Wednesday morning, Enten noted a “massive shift” in American voters where they have become more “hawkish” on immigration issues. He argued a majority of voters are likely to give Trump “the benefit to the doubt to do what he wants to do” when it comes to immigration and deportations.

According to 2024 polling from The New York Times, Marquette, CBS News, and ABC News, more than 50% support deporting all migrants in the country illegally. The most support came from Marquette research at 64% and the least support was in the Times’ 55%.

“What you’re seeing essentially here is a very clear indication that a majority of Americans, in fact, when they’re asked this blunt question, which I believe gets at the underlying feelings, do, in fact want to deport all immigrants who are here illegally. There’s no arguing with these different numbers, because they’re all essentially the same across four different pollsters,” Enten said.

He then pointed to ABC polling averages over the years, showing a jump for mass deportations from 2016 to 2024. In 2016, 36% supported deportations and in 2024 that number rose to 56%.

“Feelings towards undocumented immigrants and deporting all of them have become considerably more hawkish,” Enten said. “And I think that gives Donald Trump much more leverage to go with the American people and sort of have these hawkish, some might say harsh, different rhetoric and also issue-based, sort of going after immigrants who are here illegally. And so I think the American people are going to give Donald Trump the benefit of the doubt to do what he wants to do. At least if you believe these blunt questions, including this one.”

Watch above via CNN.