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Harry Enten Says Trump's Ratings On 1 Major Issue Are ‘Numbers That Wreck Presidencies’

CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten said Wednesday that a new report showing decreased inflation hasn't meaningfully improved President Donald Trump's approval ratings.

"Did he improve?" Enten asked on "News Central" Wednesday. "Yeah, maybe a tiny, tiny bit at minus 47 points, but the bottom line is the long-term trend for Donald Trump's net approval rating on inflation is down, down, down. These are numbers that wreck presidencies."

He continued, "These are numbers that Republicans do not want to see going to a midterm election. Even if this slightly lower number holds, you can bet that Republicans would be in for a whole heck of a lot of pain come November."

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A Bureau of Labor Statistics report published Tuesday shows inflation slowed to 3.5% in June from a three-year high of 4.2% in May. But Enten cited Ipsos polling over the past year and a half showing Trump's approval rating on inflation plummeted from minus 6 points in January 2025 to a bona fide "rock bottom" of minus 50 in May 2026 — and is now still at minus 47 points.

"It's historically bad at this point in a presidency," said Enten before pointing out: "Jimmy Carter, of course, inflation ruined his presidency. He was down there at minus 44 points."

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Citing Ipsos and Gallup polling showing Carter at minus 44 and former President Joe Biden at a slightly better minus 43 points on inflation at around the same time in their presidencies as Trump, Enten concluded: "All these numbers are bad. They're all in the same neighborhood."

He added, "But if you're looking at these two numbers and you understand history, and you understand how inflation impacts presidencies, you do not want to be — if you're Donald John Trump — in the brotherhood with Joe Biden and Jimmy Carter on inflation."

MAGA voters slammed Biden for high costs during his term, and Trump campaigned on promises to bolster the economy, only to impose steep international tariffs and launch a war on Iran that resulted in skyrocketing gas prices.

Trump could follow in the footsteps of both Carter and Biden, Enten predicted.

"Inflation ruined their presidencies," he said. "And unless this number improves, and given that the gas prices seem to be climbing higher again, it probably won't. That means, as I said, a whole heck of a lot of pain for Republicans come the midterms."