Harry Enten Says Trump’s Rally Shout-Outs Surprised Him as Poll Numbers Weaken

CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten said he had not expected Donald Trump to feature his segments so often at rallies. Speaking with CNN anchor Laura Coates on October 27, Enten reacted to the president’s repeated use of clips that highlight his standing among MAGA Republicans. Coates joked that Enten had become nearly as familiar in Trump’s stump speech as the “YMCA” song. She said the president had used his analysis 15 times in three weeks and asked whether the attention surprised him. Enten replied that when he first prepared the segments, he did not anticipate the president would show such an “infatuation” with them. The discussion turned to the polling Trump has not highlighted. Enten said the clips chosen by the president focus on the numbers that look favorable to him and his base, while other measures show a different picture. He said Trump’s support had fallen among some Republicans and described the president as “actually underwater” with that group. Enten also pointed to independents, saying Trump’s standing with them had dropped sharply. He told Coates that the average poll showed the president 50 points underwater when approval was compared with disapproval. Enten called the figures a potentially devastating sign, though the article does not identify particular polls or provide further detail about their methodology. Coates observed that Trump’s flattering references to Enten were striking given the president’s frequent criticism of CNN. Trump had called the analyst a “great guy” and asked the network not to fire him, according to the segment. Coates suggested that the president might simply like Enten and his upbeat manner. Enten responded with a joke that “everybody loves Harry,” then quipped that if he could bring people on the left, center, and right together, he was willing to accept the responsibility. His lighthearted answer capped a conversation that mixed the unexpected attention with his warning that the polling picture beyond Trump’s preferred clips was less favorable.