CNN’s top polling analyst Harry Enten is sounding the alarm—not for Republicans, but for Democrats. In a recent segment that surprised many, including Enten himself, Enten broke down polling data that paints a surprisingly strong picture for the GOP heading into the 2026 midterm elections.
“This, to me, is the most shocking piece of polling data I’ve seen this year—maybe ever,” Enten said. “Look at this: ‘Cares more for the needs of people like you.’ We’ve got a tie between Democrats and Republicans—even after this whole tariff war has already started. That’s surprising because in prior years, Democrats always led on this question.”
According to a post-tariff Quinnipiac poll, Democrats and Republicans are now tied at 33% on the question of which party “cares more for the needs of people like you”—a dramatic shift after more than three decades of Democratic dominance on the issue. Enten added context to just how historic these numbers are, “Back in 2017, before the midterms, Democrats led by 13 points. In 2005, it was a 23-point lead. Even in 1994—a big year for Republicans—Democrats led by 19,” Enten noted. “Now? A tie. The Democrats, long seen as the party of the people? No more.”
Enten also highlighted a worrying trend for Democrats among non-college voters, a group that had recently leaned left on the generic ballot. That shift, he said, was key to Trump’s 2024 victory—and now Democrats lead among that group by just one point.
While Enten didn’t make any firm predictions, his tone was unusually blunt: “If Democrats think they have a guaranteed ticket back to control of the House, I’d say hold on a second. Republicans still have a real shot—despite all of Trump’s theatrics around tariffs in the last month.”
With public opinion at historic lows, Democrats could be heading toward a midterm letdown.
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