Former Clinton pollster Mark Penn told Fox News that the Democratic Party appears to be “falling off a cliff” as recent polls show its approval rating among American voters hovering near all-time lows. A new poll from the left-leaning firm YouGov, released by CBS News, measured President Trump’s job approval at 53 percent—nearly a record high in the poll’s history.
Popular terms to describe the president’s first month in office include “tough,” “energetic,” “focused” and “effective.” Many respondents indicated that Trump is meeting their expectations, with some stating he is exceeding them. Very few believe Trump is failing to deliver on his campaign promises.
The numbers have been bleak for Democrats during the same period, with a recent Quinnipiac survey showing that only 31 percent of Americans hold a favorable view of the party. Meanwhile, a striking 57 percent of respondents expressed an unfavorable opinion of the Democratic Party. On Friday’s episode of The Ingraham Angle, host Laura Ingraham asked Penn for his take on why the party is losing support among key groups within its coalition.
“Well, I’ve got some new polling coming out Monday that I’ve just looked at. And frankly, the Democratic Party is falling off a cliff. The ratings, which were in the high 40s, are going to be like 35 percent,” Penn answered, providing more troubling news for the Democratic Party as they attempt to find a message after former Vice President Kamala Harris’ defeat.
“Think of the basic question, who’s doing a better job as president, Biden or Trump? Trump is winning that with 57 percent. I think you’re seeing a retrospective assessment of Biden and the direction the Democratic Party was going, really a lot more negative than it was on election day,” Penn added. “And they’re looking at the contrast on immigration, on economic policy, on some of the social policies. And, boy, they’re reevaluating. And the Democratic Party, I have never seen anything like this. This is a record low for the Democratic Party in terms of favorability. It has fallen really, really way down and I don’t think there’s any leadership right now that’s going to be able to bring that back.”
Penn’s concerns seem justified, given the Democratic National Committee’s leadership elections earlier this month. The convention, marked by protest songs and debates over the lack of “nonbinary” candidates, resulted in the election of Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ken Martin—who previously called for President Donald Trump to be tried for “treason”—as the party’s new national chair.
The party also elected Malcom Kenyatta, a far-left Philadelphia lawmaker who has lost two statewide elections by wide margins, and gun control activist David Hogg as vice chairs. Hogg—who rose to prominence following the Parkland school shooting—has championed some of the most unpopular left-wing positions in recent years.
This includes the widely criticized “defund the police” movement, which many elected Democrats now seek to distance themselves from. A staunch gun control advocate, Hogg is also credited with influencing the selection of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as Harris’ running mate.
Despite widespread public disapproval, Democrats have pledged to double down on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, as well as gender reassignment surgeries and transgender issues. According to exit polls, gender ideology ranked as a top concern for voters in November, trailing only illegal immigration and the economy.
