The Democratic Party doesn’t really have a lot going for it these days. It has spent more than a decade hating on Donald Trump, yet it has failed to convince the public that it’s the better alternative. In fact, the Democratic Party has become so unpopular that even its own voters can't stand it anymore.
I’m not kidding.
In fact, CNN’s own Harry Enten said as much this week. He revealed just how badly the party's congressional leadership is tanking with the people who are supposed to be their base.
A new CNN/SSRS poll shows that 57% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters disapprove of their own party's congressional leadership. That's only slightly better than the record high of 61% disapproval back in April 2025, but that’s hardly anything for Democrats to get excited about.
"Take a look at how Democrats who disapprove of congressional Democratic leaders. We're talking about 57% in January of 2026. The second-highest disapproval rate for Democratic leaders from their own party on record. It's only beaten by what we saw earlier on in this Congress, when it was 61%. There's basically been no improvement. Democrats hate their own congressional leaders. These numbers are awful, awful, awful," Enten said.
The poll makes it clear that Democratic voters think their representatives in Congress are spineless when it comes to opposing President Trump. Most Democrats believe their congressional leaders are doing "too little" to fight back against Trump, while just 17% think they're doing the right amount. "Democrats want fighters in Congress. And at this point, they do not believe that the Democrats in Congress are fighting enough to oppose President Trump's agenda," Enten explained.
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If they think Democrats aren’t doing enough to resist Trump, then these people will never be happy, which is a good thing for the GOP. Seriously, this is the same party that impeached Trump twice and tried to put him in prison, and they’re not hiding the fact that they want to do it again. What more do they want?
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is taking the biggest hit. Enten pointed out that Schumer's approval rating among Democrats has dropped underwater to -2 points, down from 11 in January 2025, according to Pew Research. A Gallup survey from December 2025 found that only 28% of Americans approve of Schumer's performance, putting him dead last among 13 senior political figures in the poll. Even worse, just 39% of Democrats approve of Schumer, which is a staggering collapse from the 76% who backed him two years ago. All because last year he voted for a Continuing Resolution to keep the government open.
For what it’s worth, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is in significantly better shape. His approval rating rose from plus 22 to plus 29 among Democrats compared to January 2025. Still, that doesn't change the bigger picture for the party.
🚨 BRUTAL new CNN poll finds Chuck Schumer is the most UNPOPULAR Democrat leader in 40 YEARS!
— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) January 23, 2026
"Look at Chuck Schumer! This is among DEMOCRATS! He's under water -2. I looked at EVERY SINGLE Democrat Senate leader - he's the LOWEST dating back 40 years!" says Harry Enten pic.twitter.com/jwotB14VUW
Democratic voters are frustrated and bloodthirsty, and they’re taking it out on their representatives in Congress. That’s not a good situation for them, and it’s one that Republicans need to capitalize on as we head into the midterms.
