‘Tea Party on Steroids’: CNN Data Guru Warns Incumbent Democrats Facing Historic Primary Losses

CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten warned the Democratic Party that they are facing a “Tea Party on steroids” when it comes to far-left candidates toppling incumbents.

Enten joined John Berman on Thursday and noted numbers right now are more unfavorable for Democrats in their own party than what Republicans faced during the Tea Party uprising around 2010, which saw the rise of politicians like Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) as large groups of Republicans railed against establishment candidates.

Enten pointed to Quinnipiac polling data to show that 52% of Republicans approved of their own party in Congress in 2010. That number is lower today for Democrats, with 47% approving of their own party members in Congress.

“Democrats dislike their party more than Republicans did during the Tea Party wave of 2010. Just 47% of Democrats now approve of their own party in Congress. As I said, it’s a new tea party, but it’s a tea party on steroids,” Enten said.

Multiple incumbents have lost their primaries to far-left or Democratic socialist candidates recently. Reps. Dan Goldman (D-NY) and Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) both lost their primaries, as well as Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO).

In 2010, Enten noted, incumbent House Republicans lost two seats while incumbent Democrats have already lost five this year.

“We’re dealing with more defeats right now in Congress for Democrats, those democratic incumbents, than you even saw during the tea party wave for Republicans back in 2010,” Enten said.

He noted the Kalshi prediction market has the odds over 80% that six or more incumbent Democrats will lose their primaries.

“It’s likely to get even worse,” he warned Democrats.

Veteran GOP operative Karl Rove issued a similar warning recently, comparing the rise of Democratic Socialist candidates to the Tea Party revolt Republicans previously faced.

“You think the Republicans had problems with the Freedom Caucus or before them the Tea Party, it’s gonna be nothing like what the Democratic Socialists are going to create inside the Democratic caucus,” he said.

Watch above via CNN.

Jason Cohen contributed to this report. 

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