'A back breaker': Enten unpacks Trump's new unwanted record

28 days out from midterms, President Trump,  you've seen, scrambling across the country, campaigning for candidates who have to try to  combat his dismal poll numbers. One of the biggest. things those candidates have to contend with are  high gas and diesel prices. CNN chief data analyst. Harry Enon joins me now. So, I understand that  President Trump has a historic record here. Yes. One that he may not be proud of. Yeah, perhaps  one he should not be proud of. But again, another. record. Another record for President Trump. Not  so much congratulations for you. Uh I mean just.

take a look at this. Okay. The most days in a year  ever for any president of over $4 a gallon for gas. for gas. Look at this. 2026 President Trump  according to Gas Buddy now and AAA as well. We are talking about for nearly half the year.  For nearly half the year we have had gasoline. that has been over $4 a gallon. That breaks the  all-time record that Joe Biden I believe had.

And so we are dealing with a absolute backbreaker  for Republicans who are running nationwide. They. do not want this record. President Trump shouldn't  want this record. But again, it's another unwanted. record for the president of the United States,  at least under his presidency. And it certainly. didn't come from nowhere. I I'd be curious how his  approvals changed since the start of the Iran war, which is impacting, of course, this big issue.  and seeing these climb and go up and up and up. and not just gas diesel as well which helps  run the economy. Yeah. I mean all of this has.

happened after the start of the Iran war and it's  just a crusher. It's a crusher for the president. of the United States. I mean look here. Okay,  look. His net approval rating was not exactly. the greatest before the war began right at minus  12 points. But look at this. It's nearly doubled. Nearly doubled in the wrong direction. Gone under  the straight up for moves. We're talking about 22. points underwater. It is now the worst for any  president going into a midterm election. Among. those independents, you take an average of  the polls. He is now 45 points. I love those.

little nuggets for me at the bottom of there. I'm  like a fast food restaurant. I love the little. nuggets. 45 points underwater. As I said, it is a  backbreaker. It is a crusher. It is a killer for a. president who's trying to hang in there and avoid  lame duck status. These are the types of numbers. that lead to lame duck status. So when you talk  about that, what is this doing to Congress and. how they are being affected by all this? Yeah. I  mean, you're a Republican running for reelection, right? You're a Republican who wants to join  Congress and you're going to myself, oh my god,

we're breaking records, you know, in terms of the  number of days in which you have over $4 gallon, the most in any year ever for any president. And  of course, it's just a killer for you. It's a. killer for you. Take a look at the National House  ballot. Pre the Iran war, look at this. Democrats. were ahead by five points. that at least kept  Republicans competitive in terms of maintaining. control of the US House of Representatives  because likely Dems need to win by four points. in order to in order to win control because of  the gerrymandering that occurred because of the.

redistricting that occurred. But look at this now.  Democrats are ahead by nine points. They've nearly. doubled their lead since the Iran war began.  And you know, when you see those gas prices. going above $4 a gallon, when you see the polling  showing that Donald Trump has historic lows for. approval rating, the highest all-time disapproval  rating when it comes to gas prices. And you can. literally see the correlation in the charts  as the gas prices climb and President Trump's.

approval rating goes down. You know that it is  an absolute backbreaker, a crusher, a killer for. Republicans re-election hopes in order to maintain  control in the US House of Representatives. It is. a concrete thing that people can feel every day.  You can feel it. Most people drive a car to work. You can see it every day. All right, Harry Anton,  it's good to see you. Thank you. Great to see you, sir. The war is going to end very soon, and when  it does, your prices are going to come tumbling. down. They already are. We have economic success  like nobody thought possible. That was President.

Trump campaigning last night in Alaska, promising  that prices are already falling. But today's. final inflation report before the midterms  delivered a different verdict. Americans are. paying more. Inflation is going up, not down.  3.7% in September, the highest since May. And. it's not just gasoline which is driving that. It's  plane tickets, car tuneups, power bills, and more.

Uh this is a a number uh Mariana that is um kind  of a red flashing light, but it's not news to any. Republican on the ballot because they're hearing  it in real terms with real live voters on how. their lives are right now. You're right. It's not  new at all. And frankly, I was talking to a couple. of Republican strategists today in light of this  and especially when you talk to those who have. been covering a number of House races, they're  like, "This is already more or less baked in.

You're seeing Republicans actually pulling money  from states where or districts where they were. believed that they were more competitive in to  try and shore up Republicans in safe seats because. they genuinely did not think that it would become  such a tough environment for them." And I mean, as much money as even MAGA, Inc. has tried to  pour in, a number of people that I've talked. to have just not seen those races tighten in the  way that they even expected simply because again,

voters already know what's happening on the  economy. They already know. And and let's. just illustrate what they know and what they're  feeling. We're going to use the numbers to sort. of help hit it home. So, we're going to show you  uh wages versus inflation, okay? how much people. are making versus how much things cost. So this is  January 2012 when President Trump was inaugurated. again. Red is what you make and the orange is  what it costs. What you make is more than what it.

costs. This is where we are now. What you make is  lower than what it costs. It's as simple and sad. as that. Yeah. And I think a a big part of this  too is that um you know the Trump people like to. always point to the fact that inflation actually  was higher during the Biden administration. It. actually went above 7%. You look at the same  point in that election cycle, the 2022 cycle, inflation was over 7% heading into that election.  The differences are that people knew that that had.

something to do with COVID. they they didn't  totally blame the Biden administration on it. versus now they have these things that they  can point to the Trump administration on the. tariffs and the Iran war specifically. And the  other thing is that chart that you pointed out, the the inflation is not significantly higher than  when Trump took office, but it is not no longer. keeping pace with wage gains. And so that's where  it really hurts people. This is the base that the. president is banking on to show up for him for the  midterms, for the party, but he's going out there.

trying to get them to show up. I mean, are they  going to? Well, that's the $100,000 question. Um, look, airing a complaint about Trump's policies  doesn't necessarily mean they're going to vote. against the Republican party. Um, uh, but there  are a lot of headwinds. Um, this is historically. an off-year election. Um the average uh loss for  the party in power is somewhere around 20 seats. since um 1932 I believe. Um so he's got that to  start. But then you know there's this uh campaign.

sign that I've noticed on um almost every uh  intersection in every major city and small. town in America. Um and it has two numbers on it.  Uh one begins with a four and one begins with a. six. And it's in neon usually. Um and it's called  gas prices. And that is what is driving people uh. mostly is their economic situation and the thing  that Trump has promised. And so all these other. things like u have compounded that problem.  The affordability issue is the main issue but.

compounding the problem are things like the Iran  war, the Epstein files, uh the war in in Ukraine. Um they're they're making it very difficult. And  Trump is doing essentially what he needs to do and. what is the correct thing to do is to motivate  his base. his base is the hardest voter to get, hardest voter to show up. Uh but even if  they all show up in this extraordinary year, I just don't think it's going to be enough  to overcome. Certainly not in the House.