In a CNBC phone interview this week, President Donald Trump talked up his approval rating numbers, while calling polls that say otherwise “fake,” and citing a source for those numbers, CNN elections analyst Harry Enten. But in doing so, Trump both misinterpreted what Enten had said, and mangled Enten’s name (calling him “Harry Emden.”)
“No, no, no. Among Republicans, 94 and 95 percent. No, I’m talking about generally. Let me put it this way. There was a gentleman on Harry Emden yesterday on CNN, and he went crazy over how well Trump was doing,” Trump said in that CNBC interview earlier this week. “Now, you know, you don’t put that on because I think CBS is a shade. Actually, CNN is a better shade than NBC. I think NBC is probably the worst of them all. But if you check CNN tomorrow, watch Harry Emden. And you’ll see about the numbers, but that’s okay. We have to defend ourselves, yeah.”
Trump: “I have the best poll numbers I’ve ever had.”
Host: “polls have you down in the 30s”
Trump: “They’re fake polls. I had a lot of fake polls”
pic.twitter.com/d9WDVdhjlH— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) August 5, 2025
On Wednesday, Enten addressed Trump’s flubs, including of his name, on a CNN segment.
Was Trump wearing a Banana Republic suit on Friday? Cause firing the BLS head cause you don’t like the job numbers is the worst of Donald Trump. It’s the conspiracy theory-laden part of Trump a la the 2020 election.
Trump has a right to do it, but it sows doubt going forward. pic.twitter.com/WioqkKNrus
— (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) August 4, 2025
