CNN data analyst Harry Enten could not hide his disbelief as he walked viewers through new polling that shows congressional Democrats at a historic low with voters, calling the numbers alarming for a party looking ahead to the 2026 midterm elections.
Reviewing the latest Quinnipiac University poll on CNN Thursday, Enten laughed out loud as the figures appeared on the studio’s big board. He prefaced the breakdown with a blunt warning, saying that “in the minds of the American public, Democrats are lower than the Dead Sea.” For a party hoping to regain control of Congress, Enten said the data should be treated as a serious warning sign.
Speaking with anchor Kate Bolduan, Enten laid out the topline result. “The net approval rating for Democrats in Congress? The lowest ever. Look at this! Overall, they are 55 points underwater. Their approval rating is south of 20%,” he said. The situation, he added, is even worse among independents. “Look at this: -61 points! That means that their approval rating is 61 points lower than their disapproval rating!”
Enten emphasized that the result is unprecedented in Quinnipiac’s long-running surveys. “Quinnipiac has been polling this question for the better part of the 21st century,” he said. “They have never found Democrats, at least those in Congress, and worse shape than they are right now.”
What makes the numbers particularly troubling, Enten argued, is that the erosion in support is not limited to swing voters. According to the data, Democrats’ own base has turned sharply against congressional leadership. “This is Democrats on Democrats!” Enten exclaimed, pointing to another chart. The graphic showed Democratic voters’ net approval of congressional Democrats plunging from +22 points in October to -6 in November.
“That’s a 28-point decline!” he said. “Falling through the floor!” Enten attributed the reversal in part to fallout from a recent government shutdown. While Democrats initially saw a boost during the standoff, that momentum has since evaporated. “Democrats did not like how that shutdown turned out,” he said, adding that the party’s base has now “returned against Democrats in Congress.”
Bolduan pressed Enten on whether Democrats can still win back control of Congress despite the bleak numbers. “The answer is yes,” Enten replied, “But in my mind, it’s definitely hurting them.” He pointed to the generic congressional ballot, where Democrats currently hold just a four-point lead.
“Historically, that is quite weak,” he said, noting that in past midterms under Republican presidents, Democrats often led by around ten points at this stage. Bolduan summed up the moment with a stunned laugh, saying, “A lot can change.” Enten agreed, but issued a final warning: “When you have numbers like this, hold the phone just a second.”
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