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CNN’s Harry Enten Says Trump’s Approval On Major Issue Has Skyrocketed

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CNN senior data reporter Harry Enten said on Wednesday that President Donald Trump’s approval rating on foreign policy has surged dramatically since his first term.

Trump’s approval rating jumped from 35% to 43% since November 2018, when he first served as president, Enten said, citing his aggregate data. Americans appeared more satisfied with Trump’s handling of foreign policy conflicts in comparison to past presidents in their second terms.

“This is one of the areas in which Donald Trump is performing significantly better than he was in term one,” Enten said. “One of his best issues relative to term one. What are we talking about? Approval of Trump on foreign policy at this point in term one. Look, Donald Trump was just at a 35% approval rating. Up like a rocket. We’re talking about 43% now. That’s an eight point rise on the net approval rating. We’re talking about a double digit rise.”

“The American people like much more of what they’re seeing from Donald Trump and foreign policy in term two than they did in term number one,” Enten continued. 

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At the same point in their second terms, former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama’s foreign policy approval ratings stood at 36% and 37%, respectively.

“Donald Trump has a higher foreign policy approval rating at this point in a second term than any other president who served their entire second term in the 21st century,” Enten said. “This is something I think Donald Trump really likes to look at because the bottom line is this. Presidents like to build their legacies off of foreign policy. And at this particular point, the American people like much more of what Donald Trump’s doing on foreign policy than either of the two other 21st century presidents who serve at least or served two terms.”

Americans are particularly satisfied with Trump’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war, in which Trump currently holds a +3 net approval rating, Enten said, citing his own aggregate data. By contrast, former President Joe Biden garnered a -37 point net approval rating on the issue by the end of his presidency.

Some conservatives, such as Daily Caller News Foundation co-founder Tucker Carlson and Republican Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, have criticized Trump’s foreign policy approach by accusing him of dragging the U.S. into endless wars. Carlson criticized Trump’s bombing of nuclear facilities in Iran, stating that the U.S. should not participate in Israel’s war with Iran “at any level.” Greene also criticized Trump’s military strikes on Venezuela’s ships by saying on “The View” that the U.S. does not need to be “engaging in war.”

Israel and Hamas agreed to Trump’s peace plan in October which mandated that all the surviving hostages be released and that Israel withdraw its troops to a designated line. The United Nations Security Council approved the plan on Monday, which included an international mandate to rebuild Gaza.

Traders predicted there is a 61% chance of Israel and Saudi Arabia normalizing ties under the Trump’s administration, according to Kalshi. Enten noted that Trump’s approval will rise even more if he is able to succeed at this mission. The president met with the Saudi crown prince in the Oval Office on Tuesday amid his efforts to end the conflict in the Middle East.

The U.S. is working with Russia on a 28-point plan to end the war in Ukraine. Special envoy Steve Witkoff is leading the drafting plan and has discussed it extensively with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev, according to Axios. U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is planning to present the plan to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday in Turkey.