Despite ongoing media attention surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein files, President Donald Trump’s support among Republican voters has actually increased, according to new polling data — much to the surprise of mainstream analysts.
On Thursday, CNN political data analyst Harry Enten appeared visibly shocked during a network segment after reviewing Trump’s rising approval numbers within the GOP.
“Republicans who approve of Trump — look at our CNN poll. The prior one: 86 percent. The one out this week: 88 percent,” Enten said.
“How about Quinnipiac? The prior poll: 87 percent approval. This week: 90 percent with Republicans!”
🚨NEW: CNN’s Harry Enten “SURPRISED” Trump’s approval among GOP has *RISEN* amid Epstein backlash🚀
“Republicans who approve of Trump — look at our CNN poll. The prior one: 86%. The one out this week: 88% with Republicans.”
“How about Quinnipiac? The prior poll: 87% approval… pic.twitter.com/2tjXM6KDUO
— Jason Cohen
(@JasonJournoDC) July 17, 2025
Trump Approval Hits Apex Among GOP
According to Enten, Trump is nearing record-high approval ratings within his base, even as some commentators have speculated that the Epstein case might pose political damage.
“If anything, Donald Trump’s approval rating has gone up since this whole Epstein saga started,” Enten noted.
He called the current level of Republican support “the apex or close thereto” of Trump’s popularity among Republican voters.
Epstein Case Not a Top Concern
While media outlets and social media critics continue to focus on Epstein, Enten noted that voters are prioritizing other issues. In CNN’s data, only one Republican respondent cited the Epstein case as the most important issue facing the country.
“Most of the angst is confined to social media,” Enten acknowledged.
Issues like the economy, border security, and crime continue to top voter concerns, with the Epstein saga failing to gain much traction outside media echo chambers.
GOP Base Unmoved Despite Criticism
Though a separate question found that only 4 percent of Republicans approve of how Trump has handled the Epstein matter, Enten emphasized that this has not translated into political damage where it counts — Trump’s overall support within his party.
“My goodness gracious! When you only have 4 percent that is with Donald Trump on a particular issue, that is ridiculously low,” Enten said.
Still, he conceded that dissatisfaction with the pace or transparency of the Epstein document releases hasn’t altered Republican voter intent heading into 2026 and beyond.
