'The gulf between these two is wider than the Gulf of America,' Harry Enten said of support of the presidents amid the war
CNN data expert says gap of approval between Trump's Ukraine policy vs Biden's is 'wider than the Gulf of America'
CNN polling guru Harry Enten marveled at how much more the American public approves of President Trump's approach to the conflict in Ukraine versus the approach of his predecessor.
CNN senior political data reporter Harry Enten noted Monday that President Donald Trump is doing "considerably better" than former President Biden when it comes to the war in Ukraine.
On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's meeting with Trump and Vice President JD Vance at the White House erupted into a shouting match that was seen worldwide. The meeting went off the rails after Zelenskyy began to argue with Trump and Vance. While many Democratic Party leaders were horrified, many Republicans and voters in general approve of Trump’s approach to this foreign conflict.
On Monday, Enten spoke about how polling indicates that Americans have shifted dramatically in the past few years in terms of how they feel about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
"I think the easiest way we can kind of just ask this is, ‘Do Americans like the way that Trump is handling his job and compare it to how they felt about Joe Biden?’ So this is the net approval rating," he said as he gestured at a CBS News/YouGov polling chart comparing how voters felt about both presidents handled the Russia-Ukraine conflict while in office.
CNN's polling expert expressed his surprise at the wide margin by which Americans approve of Trump's approach to Ukraine versus that of his predecessor.
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"You look at Joe Biden back in 2024. He was 22 points underwater, holy cow!" he said, before gesturing at how Trump has a positive net rating. "You look at Donald Trump. It‘s just a different planet entirely. I mean, the gulf between these two is wider than the Gulf of America, or Mexico, depending on which side of the aisle you stand on. He‘s at plus two."
"So look, at this particular point, Americans are giving Donald Trump the benefit of the doubt," he said. "He‘s doing considerably better than Joe Biden was doing on the handling of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and so on this simple question, I think Americans are saying, ‘Okay, Donald Trump is doing alright on this!’"
CNN host Kate Bolduan then asked him to show how Americans feel about bringing the war to an end.
He noted that a "bare majority," 50%, of the Americans Gallup polled want a quick end to the war where Russia is allowed to keep captured land, compared to 48% who would rather Ukraine keep fighting.
While this seems like a neck-and-neck result in the moment, Enten explained that "the trend line on this question is so important," because those who wanted a quick end to the war were merely at 31% in 2022.
"Now we‘re at 50%. I mean, that is a rocket ship upwards in terms of the Americans who want a quick end to the war, even if it means Russia keeps the captured Ukraine land. Americans are moving closer and closer to wanting a compromise, even if it means that Ukraine doesn‘t really get what it set out to want, at least at the beginning of this war."
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as U.S. Vice President JD Vance reacts at the White House in Washington, D.C., Feb. 28, 2025. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo)
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"Americans' views on Russia are shifting as well," Bolduan observed.
"Absolutely. I mean, one of the reasons why we‘re seeing this is Americans who say ‘Russia is an enemy,’ you go back to 2023, it was 64%, and that CBS News YouGov poll? It was down to 34%."
Enten noted that while there is still a chunk of the American populace that believes that Russia is an unfriendly nation, "the percentage who believe that they‘re either an ally or friendly, that‘s up to 34% as well, basically equal to the percentage who say that they‘re an enemy."
President Zelenskyy and President Trump have had a tumultuous relationship amid the war in Ukraine. (Photos supplied by Getty Images)
He then argued that this shifting attitude toward Russia, ultimately, is why Americans are willing to support a compromise to end the war.
"So views on Russia have become, let‘s say, a little less isolated in terms of wanting Russia to be way out there on their own, thinking that they‘re an enemy," the CNN polling expert said. "At this particular point, they‘re starting to see Russia a little bit more friendly, and I think that‘s part of the reason why Americans want to see a compromise at this particular hour."
Alexander Hall is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to
