A prominent CNN host has startled liberal viewers with new polling data that suggests a dramatic shift in the political landscape. For decades, Democrats have positioned themselves as the champions of the middle class. But under former President Donald Trump’s leadership, Republicans have closed the gap — and may even have overtaken the Democrats in claiming to represent working Americans.
Since Trump’s victory in the November 2024 election, where he swept all seven key battleground states, the Democratic Party has faced a series of uphill battles. Just four months into Trump’s new term, Republicans now enjoy a commanding 10-point lead when it comes to the economy.
CNN political analyst Harry Enten expressed his disbelief at these numbers during a segment on Monday. He noted that many Americans remain anxious about a potential recession and erratic stock market swings, yet Republicans have continued to gain ground.
Enten explained his surprise, saying he had expected Democrats to hold a comfortable advantage on economic issues, given the rocky start to Trump’s second term.
“That’s just not the case,” Enten said. “When voters were asked in November 2023 which party best matches their views on the economy, Republicans were ahead by 11 points. Fast forward to today, and that advantage still stands — around eight points.”
He continued, “How can this be, Democrats? Despite the stock market turmoil, despite the tariffs that Americans largely oppose, Republicans still have an eight-point lead on the economy. Are you kidding me?”
Enten also pointed out that this trend wasn’t an outlier. Other polls, such as Reuters/Ipsos, have reported similar results.
“In May 2024, right before Trump was re-elected, Republicans had a nine-point edge. Now, in May 2025, that lead has grown by three points,” he explained, referencing the Reuters/Ipsos survey. “That’s a 12-point lead on who has the better economic approach.”
Enten emphasized that this lead is even more striking given the ongoing economic worries and market volatility.
“Despite months of economic uncertainty and all these tariff disputes, the Democrats are still down by 12 points on the economy,” he said.
Enten also warned that Democrats may be losing a key part of their traditional support base. Voters were evenly split on which party best represents the middle class — a major shift from years past.
“Looking at polling data from NBC dating back to 1989, Democrats once had a 22-point lead on this question. In 2016, it was a 17-point lead,” Enten said. “But over the past decade, those numbers have slipped. In 2022, Democrats led by just four points, within the margin of error. And today, in our latest CNN poll, the question of who represents the middle class is tied.”
He concluded, “This says more about the Democrats’ troubles than anything else. They were once seen as the party of the middle class. That’s no longer true. Trump and the Republicans have completely closed the gap. And a long-standing advantage for the Democrats has disappeared. There’s no longer a party that stands out as the champion of the middle class — the Republicans have taken that mantle.”
