It was a headline-grabbing moment that sounded almost implausible—and for good reason.
During a recent interview on CNBC, House Speaker Mike Johnson made a bold assertion: former President Donald Trump, he claimed, had achieved a 90% approval rating, a number he credited to CNN and called “historic” for any U.S. president.
But within hours, the cracks began to show.
The actual CNN poll, released on July 17, painted a very different picture. According to their data, Trump’s national approval stands at just 42%, with only 37% of respondents believing he’s focused on the right issues.
These numbers mirror findings from other major polls and underscore a far more divided electorate than Johnson’s statement implied.
Additional surveys tell the same story. A Reuters/Ipsos poll showed Trump’s approval at 41%, while The Economist/YouGov reported that 55% of Americans disapprove of his performance. Even the relatively Trump-friendly Rasmussen Reports topped out at 50%—far below the inflated figure Johnson shared.
So where did the 90% come from?
Analysts suggest the Speaker may have confused general approval with intra-party support. CNN’s polling does show that 88% of Republicans currently support Trump.
But that’s Republican support, not national approval. It’s likely Johnson either misunderstood the figure or deliberately framed it in a misleading way, rounding up and misapplying a partisan metric to the broader public.
Political commentators were quick to weigh in. MSNBC called the statement “highly misleading,” pointing out that it conflates popularity within a political base with overall national standing—a key distinction, especially in an election cycle where independent and swing voters play a critical role.
Historically, Trump’s approval numbers have trailed most modern presidents. At their peaks, Bill Clinton reached 66%, Barack Obama surpassed 60%, and Ronald Reagan enjoyed similarly high ratings. Trump, by contrast, holds one of the lowest 100-day approval ratings in postwar history—and his current numbers remain stagnant in the low 40s.
This isn’t the first time polling has been weaponized in the political arena. But in this case, the misstatement sparked renewed calls for honesty in political messaging. With the 2024 election on the horizon and public trust in institutions already strained, voters are demanding clarity and truth—not spin.
In Summary
Speaker Mike Johnson’s claim that Donald Trump boasts a 90% approval rating, allegedly according to CNN, is unsubstantiated and misleading. While Trump continues to enjoy strong support among Republicans, national polls consistently place his approval far lower—generally between 40 and 45 percent. The confusion (or distortion) between partisan approval and overall public sentiment highlights a broader issue: the need for accuracy in political communication.
As campaign rhetoric ramps up, the stakes for truth-telling in public discourse grow ever higher. Misrepresenting data—especially from widely trusted sources—doesn’t just mislead voters; it undermines democratic accountability itself.