CNN data analyst Harry Enten believes President Donald Trump scheduled his Tuesday rally in Iowa because his poll numbers on the economy and immigration are plummeting.
Trump, 79, is set to visit the Hawkeye State to deliver a speech on energy and the economy. The rally comes almost nine months ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, where Democrats are heavily favored to take the House and possibly the Senate.
Enten, 37, suggested on Tuesday’s CNN News Central that Trump needs the rally to boost his flagging poll numbers and his party’s chances at staving off disaster in November.
Enten revealed that Trump is currently polling worse than Joe Biden on the economy. A year into his presidency, Biden was polling at -19 points on the economy. At the same point in his second term, Trump is polling at -20.
“The economy and inflation ate Joe Biden‘s presidency alive,” said Enten. “And now it is eating Donald Trump‘s presidency alive.”
“You know, why is Donald Trump going into Iowa right now?” he continued. “It is because of this: The Trump administration is focusing too little on lowering prices. The vast majority, 3 in 4 Americans, say he‘s focusing too little on lowering prices. That‘s why he‘s going into Iowa.”
The economy is not the only key issue where Trump is losing favor with voters.
After federal immigration officers killed protestor Alex Pretti in Minnesota last weekend, Trump’s numbers on immigration have tanked. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted the weekend of Pretti’s death found Trump at a record low -14 approval rating on immigration.
According to Enten, the two issues are linked.
“At 53 percent, Americans want him to focus on the economy and lowering prices. They don‘t want deportations. And right now they think it‘s flip-a-roo. And that‘s why Donald Trump, again, going into Iowa, trying to flip that script, a script that right now, the American people do not like.”
Enten noted that a sitting president’s economic polling is a good indicator of how his party will fare in the midterms.
“If the president‘s net approval rating on the economy is positive, which Donald Trump’s isn‘t, you keep your House seats lost to a minimum, right? You lose about nine seats on average,” said Enten.
“If his net approval rating on the economy is negative, as it is right now for Donald Trump, look at the average House seat loss,” he continued. “It‘s a 28-seat loss on average, which would wave adios, amigos! Goodbye! See you later, House majority. And it probably would put the Senate majority in danger as well.”
“And that’s just negative,” added CNN News Central host John Berman. “That doesn’t account for -20 on the economy.”
