CNN's resident data expert has claimed that if he 'were a Republican running for Congress' he would be 'shaking in place', due to the results of a new poll. The survey from CBS News showed independent voters' opinions about Donald Trump shifting drastically over the course of the last year-and-a-half. Senior analyst Harry Enten expressed astonishment at the statistics on Sunday's CNN Newsroom. 'Look at this - three in five Americans who are independents say that Trump is making them worse off financially - 60 percent,' he said, comparing the statistic to 38 percent seen in October 2024.

'Just 13 percent of independents say Trump is making them better off financially,' he added - a figure itself down from 40 percent. The dips combine to create the lowest net approval rating on the economy among independent voters of all 21st-century presidents at the same point in their tenure, Enten explained. 'That’s a 47-point margin in favor of worse off compared to a two-point margin in favor of better off just before Trump was re-elected. That’s a nearly 50-point switcheroo.

'Now, ultimately, this puts Trump in company - historic company - you don't want to be,' he added, before bringing up a graphic. The visual showed how Trump's drops in approval among independents were more pronounced than double-digit dips recorded by Barack Obama and George W. Bush. Obama and Bush's -25 and -32 differentials were eclipsed by Trump's -48 points, Enten explained. 'He's the leader of the pack, or last in the pack, when it comes to 21st-century presidents and how Americans are viewing him on the economy, at least among independents,' he said of Trump.

'Just one in four independents say that they approve of the job that he is doing when it comes to the economy,' Enten emphasized. He went on to note that Trump's net approval rating was 'twice as bad as Barack Obama's was' at this point in his presidency, and that independents 'ultimately usually decide the elections here in the United States of America.' 'These are numbers that if I were a Republican running for Congress, I would be shaking in place - because there's really nowhere to hide if you're a Republican running for Congress and President Trump is in this bad of shape among independents and Americans overall when it comes to the economy,' Enten said.

Trump's poor showing in the CBS News/YouGov poll appeared to be fueled by citizens' frustration over issues like affordability and the ongoing war in Iran. The costly conflict entered its fourth week on Saturday and has shown no signs of slowing. Some 57 percent of independents polled said they disapproved of Trump's hardline approach to immigration.

The president's inability to tackle inflation was another sticking point, the figures suggested. Some 77 percent of independents said they disapproved. 'If I were in the White House, [there's] only one word to describe them - Yikes,' Enten said of the figures, with midterm elections still slated for June. The CBS News poll was carried out between March 17 and 20. More than 3,300 people were surveyed.