CNN senior data reporter Harry Enten revealed Monday that President Donald Trump’s approval rating on immigration has soared. According to Enten, Trump’s net approval is now above water at +1—a dramatic 20-point jump since June 2017.
“[Trump’s net approval rating] has gone up like a rocket,” Enten said. “Compare now versus eight years ago during Trump’s first term. Look at this, in his first term, Trump was way, way, way underwater at -21 points. But look at this, he’s up [by] over 20 points now in the aggregate, he is in positive territory at +1 point on his net approval rating. Some other polls even have it a little higher than that.”
The shift comes amid widespread unrest in Los Angeles, where ICE agents arrested dozens of illegal immigrants with violent criminal records. Trump responded by deploying 2,000 National Guard troops, a move that drew harsh criticism from California Governor Gavin Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass.
But polling shows Trump’s actions may be resonating with voters. A new CBS News poll found that 54% of Americans approve of Trump’s mass deportations. Another 51% support ICE agents actively searching communities to locate illegal immigrants.
“There is no issue on which Trump is doing so much better than he was in his first term more than the issue of immigration,” Enten said. He also emphasized that support grows stronger among Americans closely following the events in Los Angeles. “It’s not just on the broad issue of immigration where Trump is doing well, it’s on the specifics. When you dive in on the issues, Trump is above 50% and his actions are above 50%, at least it comes to those most directly connected to what’s going on right now out in Los Angeles.”
The violence in L.A. has shocked many. Rioters burned vehicles, hurled Molotov cocktails and rocks, and spray-painted anti-ICE graffiti. DHS reported that the illegal immigrants arrested included convicts tied to second-degree murder, assault with intent to commit rape, grand theft, and other violent crimes.
According to Enten, Americans are losing faith in Democrats on immigration. “No matter what poll you look at, no matter which way you cut it, the American public is with the Republicans [and] the American public is with Donald Trump and to a much greater extent than they were in term number one,” he said.
An Ipsos poll backs him up. Republicans now hold a 19-point advantage over Democrats on who voters trust more on immigration. CNN and CBS found a smaller but consistent six-point lead for the GOP on the same issue. Across the board, the trend is clear—immigration is proving to be a winning issue for Trump in 2024.