Donald Trump dealt fresh blow as CNN halted for breaking update

CNN’s latest on-air analysis delivered another setback for Donald Trump, as new polling shows a steep decline in his approval numbers. CNN’s chief data analyst, Harry Enten, described the situation bluntly, calling the past stretch “probably the worst 10-day period for the President in the polls during his entire second term,” adding that the numbers were nothing short of atrocious.

According to Enten’s breakdown, Trump’s net approval rating in November is sinking across multiple major surveys. Even the most favorable poll in the group from Marquette University Law School still placed him 14 points below water. Fox News and Marist polls had him at -17, Ipsos came in at -22, and the Associated Press survey showed him 26 points underwater. As Enten noted, “When your best poll has you at 14 points underwater, you know it's truly bad.”

When asked why Trump’s numbers have deteriorated so sharply, Enten pointed to a dramatic shift among independent voters. Earlier this year, Trump was nearly even with them. Now, he’s sitting at a staggering -43 points in independent-only polling. He warned that if these trends continue into next year’s midterms, House Republicans could face serious losses.

Enten argued that the underlying issue is inflation and the cost of living problems that voters consistently cite as their top concerns. Trump, however, has repeatedly insisted the opposite. Earlier this month, he claimed that prices on essentials, including groceries, had dropped significantly. But recent data doesn’t back him up. In the new Marquette poll, only 12 percent of Americans said the cost of food has gone down over the past six months.

With independents turning away and economic perceptions deepening the divide, this latest batch of polling reflects a political landscape growing increasingly difficult for Trump and potentially for the Republican Party heading into the next election cycle.