CNN anchor Jake Tapper on Tuesday flatly rejected President Trump's assertion that the network had reported a 100% approval rating for him within the Republican Party. In a terse post on the social platform X, Tapper responded with a single word: “Nope.”
Earlier that day, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that “I am at, according to CNN, 100% approval within the Republican Party,” adding that he believed “the people that did that poll probably got fired.” Tapper countered by linking to CNN's actual survey, which showed a far different picture.
“In this story from today, we see Trump support among Republicans from 3/25 to 3/26 has gone from 90% to 80% and strong support from 64% to 43%,” Tapper wrote. The poll, published Tuesday, indicated that the president “appears to be more unpopular than he’s ever been—including after the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.”
CNN's analysis noted that its average of Trump polls pegged his overall approval at 35 percent, a figure that “means he’s now flirting with George W. Bush territory.” Bush's approval rating at the end of his second term in 2009 dropped to 34 percent, according to Gallup, making him “the only president since Jimmy Carter to spend a sustained period of time in the mid-30s or lower.” Trump's approval has fallen from 48 percent in February 2025 to 35 percent currently.
CNN analyst Harry Enten highlighted a “absolute collapse” in Trump's support among Republican-leaning independents in response to the war in Iran, with backing dropping from 73 percent to 53 percent. “As I said, this is a core group for Donald Trump, and they are waving, ‘Adios, amigos! Goodbye! We no longer support you,’” Enten wrote. “He’s just above 50% in a group that overwhelmingly supported him back in the 2024 election.” This erosion could threaten GOP control of Congress in November, as several polls show Trump losing ground on cost-of-living, the economy, and Middle East conflict handling.
Trump has defended his record on “affordability,” dismissing the issue as a hoax perpetuated by Democrats and blaming his predecessor for inflation. But an ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll released Sunday gave him a 62 percent disapproval rating, a new high. On specific issues, 76 percent disapproved of his handling of the cost of living, 72 percent on inflation, and 66 percent on the conflict in Iran.
The president's approval slump comes amid broader political challenges, including a controversial $400 million ballroom bunker bid that has sparked Democratic fury. Meanwhile, his administration's actions in Iran continue to draw scrutiny over war powers, and analysts warn that the dip in support among independents could reshape the electoral landscape.
