CNN accidentally told the truth on air, and you could practically hear the nervous laughter echo through the studio. During a segment that was supposed to be data driven and sober, Senior Data Reporter Harry Enten couldn’t help himself when laying out just how bad things have gotten for Congressional Democrats. According to Enten, Democrats in the minds of the American public “are lower than the Dead Sea,” which is not exactly the slogan you want heading into an election cycle.
Enten walked viewers through the numbers, and they were brutal. The net approval rating for Democrats in Congress is now the lowest ever recorded by Quinnipiac. Overall, Democrats are sitting 55 points underwater, with an approval rating south of 20 percent. That is not a messaging problem or a bad news cycle, that is a full-blown rejection. It gets worse when you look at independents, where Democrats are a staggering 61 points underwater. Enten explained that Quinnipiac has been polling this question for most of the 21st century and has never seen Democrats in worse shape than they are right now.
Cong Dems now have a -55 net approval, an all-time low & lower than the Dead Sea.
2 causes: Dems gives them a -6 pt net approval(!), & they're at -61 pts with indies!
The effect? Dems lead on the generic ballot is less than half of what it was at this pt in the 06 & 18 cycles. pic.twitter.com/Os17D7BkHR
— (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) December 18, 2025
Then came the part that really set off alarm bells. When asked by CNN anchor Kate Bolduan how Democrats are doing with their own base, Enten dropped another bomb. Democrats, judging other Democrats in Congress, are now net negative. Until this year, Democrats had never rated their own party in Congress negatively. Not once. That little streak is officially dead.
Enten pointed out that Democrats briefly saw a boost during the government shutdown, thanks to a rally around the flag effect. That goodwill did not last. The Democratic base turned back against its own leadership after seeing how the shutdown played out. He even tied these numbers to real political consequences, noting that Rep. Dan Goldman is facing serious primary trouble precisely because the base is furious with Democrats in Congress.
When the conversation shifted to the midterms, the picture did not improve. Yes, Democrats technically lead the generic congressional ballot, but only by four points. Historically, with a Republican president in office, Democrats usually hold a double digit advantage at this stage. Enten compared it to 2017 and 2018, and even George W. Bush’s second term, when Democrats were up by around ten points. Four points is weak, and everyone pretending otherwise is lying to themselves.
Enten summed it up with a warning Democrats do not want to hear. Many in the party are hoping that President Trump’s unpopularity will carry them back to a congressional majority. But with approval numbers like these, even CNN is telling them to slow down and “hold the phone.” When your own voters are jumping ship by 28 points in a matter of months, that is not momentum. That is a party in trouble, whether they want to laugh about it or not.
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