“What are you doing Democrats!? My goodness gracious! On crime, Republicans were up by 13%, now they’re up by 22%.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Texas Insider Report) — CNN anchor Kate Bolduan asked Chief Data Analyst Harry Enten to explain exactly what the latest data showed about where things stand politically between Republicans and Democrats. And boy, Enten didn’t sugarcoat things at all for the Democrats.
He explained that polls showing President Donald Trump "underwater" don’t mean diddly squat – because Democrats are still losing so badly on issue after issue that voters care about, and:“At this particular point, the Democrats are the New Orleans Saints of political parties.
"Trust the Dems or the GOP more on the economy? Who leads on the economy? Republicans by 7%.
"Immigration? Republicans by 13%.
"How about crime? A big issue for Donald Trump and the Republicans. Look at that: Republicans lead by 22%.”
Those numbers aren't a statistical blip – it’s a crushing advantage on all the top issues heading into the 2026 midterms.
"Trust the Dems or the GOP more on the economy? Who leads on the economy? Republicans by 7%.
"Immigration? Republicans by 13%.
"How about crime? A big issue for Donald Trump and the Republicans. Look at that: Republicans lead by 22%.”
Those numbers aren't a statistical blip – it’s a crushing advantage on all the top issues heading into the 2026 midterms.
Enten warned Democrats not to assume Trump’s poll numbers would save them from their own failures.
“At this particular point, it’s the Republicans who are running with the ball on the top issues – the economy, immigration, and crime,” he said.
Bolduan then pressed Enten to compare today’s numbers with the last time Republicans took control of the House.
Enten’s answer was devastating. “The GOP is more trusted than the Dems on the economy. It was 12 points in 2022,” he explained. “Slight, slight decline in that lead, but still seven points.
"How about immigration? It was Republicans by three back in 2022. Look at this: the Republican lead’s actually gone up by 10 points!”
"How about immigration? It was Republicans by three back in 2022. Look at this: the Republican lead’s actually gone up by 10 points!”
In other words, Republicans are in a stronger position now than they were in 2022, when they successfully took back the House. Enten concluded:
“Whatever Democrats are doing, it ain’t working, Kate. It ain’t working. Republicans have the lead on all three issues.”
That wasn’t the end of it. Enten broke down why Democrats are floundering so badly: independents.
“If you win with independents, you win overall,” he explained. Aand among that crucial swing voting bloc, Republicans are leading by one point on the economy, ten points on immigration, and a staggering 21 points on crime.
“The bottom line is, when you look at these numbers, Democrats should call their offices, because at this particular point, even if the public doesn’t like what Donald Trump is doing, they ain’t necessarily liking what Democrats are doing,” Enten explained.
That wasn’t the end of it. Enten broke down why Democrats are floundering so badly: independents.
“If you win with independents, you win overall,” he explained. Aand among that crucial swing voting bloc, Republicans are leading by one point on the economy, ten points on immigration, and a staggering 21 points on crime.
“The bottom line is, when you look at these numbers, Democrats should call their offices, because at this particular point, even if the public doesn’t like what Donald Trump is doing, they ain’t necessarily liking what Democrats are doing,” Enten explained.
And the implications are brutal for Democrats. As Enten summed it up,
“It ain’t just a referendum on one party – you actually have to go out and beat that party."At this particular point, Democrats are not able to beat Republicans. They still, still lead on all issues.”
The economy will remain the decisive issue, and right now, Republicans are holding the advantage – both overall and with independents.
“At this particular point among independents, you see that one-point lead for Republicans. And overall, at least according to the Washington Post, they hold a seven-point lead on the economy overall as well,” Enten noted.
For all the media spin about Donald Trump dragging down the GOP, CNN’s data analysis clearly shows what Democrats fear most: Voters don’t trust them on the issues that actually decide elections – and Republicans are stronger now than in 2022 when they took back the House.
While Democrats and many in the media have been clinging to the idea that Donald Trump’s underwater approval ratings might somehow guarantee them a triumphant showing in 2026, CNN’s own numbers-cruncher on Monday threw cold water on that narrative, reminding viewers that Trump’s poll numbers don’t magically translate into Democrat votes.
