The media keeps trying to sell a story that Donald Trump’s base is cracking.
They keep running that play. And it keeps not working.
But now CNN’s just shut down one myth about Trump that left Democrats shrieking in rage.
What Harry Enten Said on CNN
CNN senior data reporter Harry Enten went on CNN News Central and did something his colleagues don’t do very often. He told the truth about Donald Trump’s standing with Republican voters.
Enten pointed to what just happened in Indiana, where five Republican state lawmakers lost their primaries after voting against a redistricting proposal that President Trump had backed. Trump had vowed to fight back against those Republicans after their votes, and he did exactly that.
“As Indiana goes, so goes the nation when it comes to Republican voters and Donald John Trump,” Enten said. “He absolutely still has the juice. And when you’re a Republican and you go against Trump, you get voted off the island.”
Enten didn’t stop there. He called out the media narrative head-on.
“I think there’s this myth that’s going on right now that, ‘Oh, Trump is really losing support among Republicans.’ But compared to other midterm cycles, he’s just as popular with Republicans as he has ever been at this point in midterm cycles,” Enten said.
Those aren’t talking points. Those are polling averages.
The Numbers Tell the Story
According to aggregate polling, Trump’s approval rating among Republican voters currently sits at 84%. Go back to 2018, the last time he was president at this point in a midterm cycle, and it was 85%. In 2022, when he was out of office, it was 76%.
So not only is Trump holding steady with his base, he’s running stronger among Republicans right now than he was during his first midterm.
“That 85 percent looks a whole heck of a lot like this 84 percent right here,” Enten said on air.
And the energy behind those numbers matters just as much as the numbers themselves. Enten noted that the core Republican base isn’t just approving of Trump from a distance. “The people who really love him, they’re the ones who are absolutely juiced up to go out and vote,” Enten said. “They would go over hot coals to vote in those primaries.”
That’s what happened in Indiana. Republican lawmakers thought they could cross Trump and survive. They were wrong.
The Broader Picture the Media Glosses Over
Now, to be fair to CNN, Enten has also reported on real warning signs for Trump in other areas. Republican-leaning independents, a different group from core Republican voters, have shown a significant drop in approval. That’s a separate story from Republican base loyalty, and the two often get blurred together by reporters who want to paint the gloomiest picture possible.
But the myth Enten specifically debunked Thursday is the one the media pushes hardest: that Trump’s own party is turning on him. The Indiana primaries put a stake through that claim.
Trump himself has made no secret of his willingness to go after Republicans who cross him. He did it with the Indiana lawmakers. He’s done it before. And the results keep proving the strategy works.
“Donald Trump still absolutely has juice with Republican voters,” Enten said. “You saw it in Indiana. And I think that you’ll see it down the line as well if any Republicans try and go against the president of the United States, who is still very much beloved by Republican voters nationwide.”
Why This Matters Heading Into the Midterms
The 2026 midterms are coming fast, and the media narrative about a fractured Republican base serves a very specific purpose. It’s designed to demoralize Trump supporters, encourage wavering Republicans to break ranks, and give Democrat candidates a boost heading into an election cycle where they desperately need one.
But the data doesn’t cooperate with that story. When Trump tells his voters that a Republican congressman or state lawmaker needs to go, they listen. Indiana just proved it again.
The press spent years telling you Trump’s grip on the GOP was slipping. They said it after 2020. They said it after January 6. They said it during two impeachments. They said it during four criminal indictments. And every time, the Republican base came back stronger.
And now CNN’s own numbers man is standing in front of a camera telling his own network’s audience that the “Trump is losing Republicans” story is a myth. That’s not nothing.
The people who want Trump gone keep waiting for Republicans to abandon him. The Republicans keep not doing it. At some point, you’d think the lesson would sink in.
But don’t hold your breath.
Sources: Breitbart, “CNN’s Enten: It’s a ‘Myth’ that Trump Is Losing Support Among Republicans,” May 7, 2026; Mediaite, “CNN Data Guru Dispels ‘Myth’ Trump Is Losing Republican Support,” May 7, 2026; Hannity.com, “‘Still Has the Juice!’: CNN Forced to Admit Trump as Popular as Ever With Republicans,” May 2026.