The political story surrounding U.S. President Donald J. Trump and the economy has taken a remarkable turn. During the 2024 presidential campaign, full-time workers trusted Trump more than Kamala Harris to handle the economy by 20 points. Now, according to figures highlighted by CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten, Trump’s net economic approval among full-time workers has plunged to minus 41 points—a stunning 61-point reversal.
Enten’s latest assessment comes as economic concerns remain a major political headache for the Trump administration ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Recent polling has also shown broader dissatisfaction with Trump’s handling of the economy, while other reporting points to worries over inflation, fuel prices, tariffs and the cost of living.
From Economic Favourite to “Please Explain This Bill”
The irony is difficult to miss. The economy was one of Trump’s strongest political selling points in 2024, helping him convince voters that he was better positioned than Harris to deal with their financial concerns. But the latest numbers suggest that some of those same working voters are now looking at his economic record with considerably less enthusiasm.
Enten’s comparison is particularly striking because it is not merely a small movement in the polls. A 20-point advantage over Harris has effectively turned into a 41-point net approval deficit, representing a 61-point swing in the wrong direction for Trump among full-time workers. In other words, the economic political scoreboard appears to have gone from “Trump has the advantage” to “somebody please check the scoreboard.”
Workers Are Looking at the Job Market With Less Confidence
The wider figures provide another uncomfortable backdrop for the administration. Enten noted that in 2024, 54% of people in the workforce said it was a bad time to find a job. That figure has now climbed to 72%, while the share saying it is a good time to find a job has fallen from 46% to just 28%.
That pessimism is arriving at a politically sensitive moment. Recent polling has shown Trump’s overall approval falling to historically weak levels, with economic dissatisfaction and the cost of living among the major complaints. The Financial Times/Focaldata poll reported that only 33% of registered voters approved of Trump’s performance, while 57% said they were financially worse off under his presidency.
The numbers do not necessarily predict an election result, but they certainly give Republicans plenty to discuss in meetings where somebody eventually asks, “So…who has the good news?”
The figures are therefore more than another set of political statistics: they represent a potentially serious warning sign for an administration that made economic strength a central part of its political pitch. OGM News will continue watching the polling, the economy and the reaction from Trump’s political camp as the 2026 midterm elections approach. For now, the biggest question is whether this dramatic “switcheroo” is a temporary polling storm—or the beginning of a much bigger political headache for President Trump.
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