CNN’s Abby Phillip added a dose of humor to Tuesday night’s NewsNight after political commentator Scott Jennings brought up President Donald Trump’s supposedly rising approval ratings. The light moment came as the panel discussed new polls showing Democrats pulling ahead of Republicans ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
Phillip noted that the latest Gallup survey shows 48% of Americans now identify as Democrats, compared to 41% who call themselves Republicans. That’s a reversal from before last year’s election, when Republicans actually had the edge.
“One curious thing, [CNN data dude] Harry Enten pointed this out this morning, in the first part of this year, the generic ballot – Democrats versus Republicans – Democrats,” Phillip said. “Now, Democrats have an advantage.”
Jennings quickly jumped in to mention that Trump’s approval numbers have gone up. Phillip joined him mid-sentence, both blurting out at the same time, “By one point.”
The moment sparked some laughter before Phillip playfully reminded Jennings that even with that tiny bump, the president is still in rough territory. “Scott, he’s deeply underwater,” she said, referring to a Reuters poll showing Trump’s approval at 42% and disapproval at 56%.
Jennings didn’t disagree but tried to pivot to a more optimistic take, pointing out that Trump had said earlier in the day he was willing to meet with Democrats to end the government shutdown. The shutdown began on October 1, when the Senate failed to pass a bill to keep the government funded past September 30.
Republicans currently hold a 53–47 majority in the Senate, but they still need seven Democratic votes to clear a 60-vote threshold. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and his Democratic colleagues have been pushing to extend healthcare premium subsidies that were created under the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. Republicans, so far, haven’t budged.
“The president said today he’d be happy to meet with the Democrats if they stop holding the government hostage,” Jennings said, defending Trump’s position. “And my strong belief is that they would wind up negotiating on a number of issues, and they would come to an agreement. The president doesn’t want to negotiate under duress.”
Phillip smiled but didn’t let the numbers slide, pointing out that Trump’s “approval bump” might not mean much in the bigger picture. The exchange highlighted how little movement there’s been in public opinion, even as the shutdown drags on and frustration grows on both sides of the aisle.
The back-and-forth ended up being one of those quintessential NewsNight moments — part political analysis, part banter — with Phillip using humor to make a broader point: even with a slight improvement, Trump’s numbers are still deeply underwater, and Democrats are gaining ground just as the next election cycle begins to heat up.