FUEL FOR BACKLASH

CNN Data Guru Reveals Trump Is Being Crushed Thanks to His ‘Unwanted Record’

Donald Trump is presiding over a record-breaking stretch of high gasoline prices.

President Donald Trump has set a new “unwanted record,” according to CNN data analyst Harry Enten.

According to Enten, Trump is presiding over a record-breaking stretch of high gas prices.

Gas prices have climbed sharply since Trump launched his war with Iran in February, adding to growing public frustration over the cost of living.

The national average currently stands at $4.33 a gallon, up from $3.08 a year earlier, according to AAA.

Enten said 2026 had seen more days with gasoline above $4 a gallon than any other year on record—a distinction he described as an “unwanted record” for the president.

“We are talking about for nearly half the year—for nearly half the year—we have had gasoline that has been over $4 a gallon,” Enten said.

“That breaks the all-time record that Joe Biden, I believe, had. And so we are dealing with an absolute backbreaker for Republicans who are running nationwide. They do not want this record. President Trump shouldn’t want this record, but again, it’s another unwanted record for the President of the United States, at least under his presidency.”

Soaring prices are fuelling growing anger at Trump and his party ahead of the midterms, with even the president’s own supporters voicing frustration.

PANIC STATIONS

Despairing Republicans Secretly Admit Painful Truth

Martha McHardy

“He says it’s chump change. No, it’s not! It’s killing the people,” Jim Pasek, an 80-year-old Michigan voter who has supported Trump twice, told The New York Times. “He’s losing touch with the American people.”

Polling suggests the frustration extends beyond the gas pump.

In the latest CNN/SSRS survey, two-thirds of respondents said Trump had made the economy worse, while a majority said the war in Iran had damaged their personal finances.

Meanwhile, Trump approval rating has dropped to a historic low.

According to Enten’s aggregate data, Trump’s net approval rating stood at -12 before the war. Nearly eight months later, it had fallen to -22.

“It’s a crusher for the President of the United States,” Enten continued. “I mean, look here. OK, look, his net approval rating was not exactly the greatest before the war began, right at -12 points. But look at this: it’s nearly doubled—nearly doubled—in the wrong direction, gone under the Strait of Hormuz. We’re talking about 22 points underwater! It is now the worst for any president going into a midterm election.”

He warned that the combination of rising prices and Trump’s declining popularity could have serious consequences for Republicans fighting to retain control of Congress.

“An absolute backbreaker, a crusher, a killer for Republicans’ re-election hopes in order to maintain control in the U.S. House of Representatives.”

‘UGH!’

CNN Data Guru Exposes ‘Atrocious Numbers’ for Trump

Martha McHardy

The concerns come as a growing number of House Republicans face competitive races in districts Trump won comfortably in 2024. Vulnerable seats span Texas, Ohio, Maine, Iowa, North Carolina and Nevada, along with a Kentucky district the president carried by 15 points.

National polling offers further cause for GOP concern. The RealClearPolitics average has Democrats eight points ahead on the generic congressional ballot, suggesting the party could make significant gains in November.

Privately, Republicans have also voiced doubts about their chances of holding the House. Former Republican congressman Carlos Curbelo, who lost his competitive Florida seat during Trump’s first midterm elections in 2018, described the political climate as particularly difficult.

“The environment is about as tough as one could expect,” Curbelo told Politico. “There is no one who has privately stated that they believe Republicans can hold the House—not in recent weeks, anyway.”

The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.

See more of our coverage in your search results.

ADD THE DAILY BEAST ON GOOGLE

Martha McHardyReporter

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.