CNN data guru Harry Enten revealed damning numbers on the signature Trump policy informing his economy: tariffs.
“On the key policy that Donald Trump has been pushing since the start of his second term, the American people have shifted completely away from the president,” said Enten, 37, on Wednesday’s CNN News Central.
Reviewing polling on tariffs conducted in November 2024 and October 2025, Enten found that American opinion on tariffs went from a +4 favorable rating to a -24 unfavorable rating in 11 months, with 62 percent of Americans now opposing Trump’s signature policy.
The legality of Trump’s tariffs now sits before a Supreme Court that has been loath to rule against the president so far in his second term.
“This issue is dragging Donald Trump down,” said Enten. “Trump’s net approval rating on trade/tariffs? In January, it was OK, right? It was -2 points. In this political environment, and the fact that polls often underestimate Donald Trump, this ain’t too bad of a number. But look at where we are now: -24 points, a shift of 20 points away from the President of the United States!”
The reason for this shift, according to Enten, is the American impression of tariffs. Americans overwhelmingly believe tariffs increase prices in the short term, contrary to the president’s repeated insistence that prices have improved under his administration.
“The American people ain’t buyin’ it,” said Enten. “When the number one issue in the country right now is inflation, is affordability, and folks believe that a signature policy of yours increases prices? That is no bueno. That is no good. No wonder Americans are moving against tariffs and moving against Donald Trump on tariffs.”
When Trump revealed the tariffs in April, he acknowledged that it might hurt Americans in the short term but benefit them in the long term. The short-term effects were clear: the American soybean economy crumbled because China, the world’s largest importer of American soybeans, sought the legumes from Argentina to avoid the tariffs. The prices of popular Christmas gifts, such as electronics and clothing, which are primarily imported, skyrocketed due to retaliatory tariffs from other nations.
Trump, 79, has begrudgingly acknowledged that Americans may not be feeling the benefits of the tariffs, even as he boasts that they’ve brought in up to $18 trillion of revenue—a number many experts don’t believe.
To prove to Americans that the tariffs are working, the president has promised that all Americans will receive a $2,000 stimulus check, prompting top Republican lawmakers to walk it back immediately.
Enten concluded his segment by discussing how prediction markets feel about Trump’s promise, and they’re pessimistic.
“The chance that the tariff stimulus checks are sent to Americans by August 2026 is 25 percent,” said Enten. “The American people are craving some relief, and it doesn’t look like it’s coming.”
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