President Donald Trump’s approval rating among non‑college voters is “absolutely collapsing,” according to CNN’s top polling expert Harry Enten.
Newsweek contacted the White House via email for comment.
White House spokesman Kush Desai told Newsweek last week: “The Trump administration remains laser-focused on continuing to cool inflation, accelerate economic growth, secure our border, and mass deport criminal illegal aliens.”
Why It Matters
Non-college voters have long formed the backbone of Trump’s political coalition, making any sustained erosion in that group consequential for his standing and for Republican prospects in congressional races.
What To Know
Trump’s approval rating among voters without a college degree has swung from a clear strength to a net negative, CNN’s chief data analyst Harry Enten said in an on-air segment, warning the shift is dragging on Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Citing a CNN exit poll from 2024, his own aggregate and Pew Research Center data, Enten described what he called a “23-point switch” among non-college voters: from Trump winning that group by 14 points over Kamala Harris in 2024 to a current net approval rating of negative 9 points.
This movement represents a 23‑point swing away from a core constituency, Enten said.
“He is absolutely collapsing with the group of voters that helped put him into the White House,” Enten said.
But the shift is not only about Trump personally.
Enten said the Republican Party’s standing with non‑college voters has also deteriorated heading into the 2026 midterms.
In the last presidential cycle, Republicans carried non‑college voters by 13 points.
New polling now shows the GOP ahead by just 4.
“When you can count it on one hand, you know that you’re in trouble,” Enten said, noting that Democrats currently dominate among college‑educated voters by around 20 points.
“The Democratic base with college voters is rising, and the Republican base with non‑college voters is collapsing.”
The weakening support comes as Trump once again stresses economic stewardship. In a recent NBC News interview, the president said he was “very proud” of the state of the economy.
But Enten said polling suggests these voters see a disconnect between Trump’s rhetoric and their own experiences—particularly on manufacturing jobs, a signature economic promise.
What Are People Saying
Enten said: “Enten said “If you know anything about Donald Trump, you know that he built his two presidential victories on winning voters without a college degree. Well, Donald Trump’s base with non‑college voters is absolutely collapsing.
He added: “We’re dealing with a Donald Trump message that is not actually meeting the reality. And that is why non‑college voters have been going away from the president of the United States and away from Republicans as well.”
Kush Desai, White House spokesman, in an earlier statement to Newsweek: “Nearly 80 million Americans gave President Trump a resounding Election Day mandate to end Joe Biden’s economic disaster and immigration crisis. The Trump administration remains laser‑focused on continuing to cool inflation, accelerate economic growth, secure our border and mass deport criminal illegal aliens.”
Trump on Truth Social last week: “The highest Poll Numbers I have ever received. Obviously, people like a strong and powerful Country, with the best economy, EVER!
He told NBC: “In the last four days, it’s only four days, the Democrats have not uttered the word affordability. They’re the ones that caused the problem. I took over a mess in every way.”
What Happens Next
If the reported approval decline persists among non-college voters, Republicans will likely need gains in other blocs or improvements with this group to maintain a congressional advantage in 2026.
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