Trump Thanks CNN for ‘Nice Polls’ Even as Network Covers ‘Five Alarm Trumpster Fire’

President Donald Trump offered rare praise for CNN on Friday even as the network continues to cover his sinking approval rating and he’s fresh off attempting to boot the network from the White House.

Trump spoke to reporters outside the White House on Friday morning before heading to Florida for a midterms rally, and he was asked about reports regarding Starlink restrictions in Ukraine. Trump reportedly called Elon Musk himself to have the satellite internet service fully restored following reports on disruptions for the military.

Trump was asked if he knew who was behind putting the reported restrictions in place.

“I wouldn’t tell if I did know. I have no idea, but I wouldn’t tell you if I did know. Why would I tell you?” Trump said.

The president then asked what outlet the reporter was with and when he heard CNN, he offered a surprisingly positive take on the network, which he often attacks for its coverage of him.

“Why would I tell CNN? Although they did do some nice polls on me, I must say. If CNN keeps doing those polls, I’ll like them more and more,” Trump said.

The president recently had the credentials of reporters from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico revoked, later reversing this decision after a judge provided a temporary restraining order on the ban. The president said he was booting the outlets over their “fake news” coverage of him.

The network has reportedly been left off pool coverage despite the court order.

Trump has played clips of CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten at rallies, mostly of Enten noting that Trump’s approval among people loyal to MAGA remains strong. Elsewhere though, Enten has provided plenty of coverage of Trump’s sinking approval rating with numerous other voter groups.

At a Tennessee rally earlier this month, Trump thanked CNN for their poll coverage and rolled a clip of Enten talking about how Trump’s approval among MAGA voters remains close to 100%.

Even that report though included highlights of Trump’s lowering approval. Enten noted that affordability and inflation were big motivators for Trump voters in the 2024 presidential election, but he’s now underwater on those issues. In the last two years, the president went from a +8 net approval rating on inflation to -45 points heading into the midterms.

“Oh my goodness gracious!” Enten said. “He is 45 points underwater on the key issue of inflation, what is that? That’s a switcheroo of 53 points in the wrong direction.”

Just hours after Trump praised CNN at that rally, Enten highlighted more bad numbers for the president, noting Trump has seen a negative shift of more than 50 points among voters 30 and younger.

In coverage just this week, Enten declared there is a “five alarm Trumpster fire” following the president receiving a 31% approval rating in a Reuters/Ipsos poll.

“Trump’s approval rating hits all time low,” he said. “This is the Reuters-Ipsos poll. You know, at the beginning of his term, he was plus six. He was two thumbs up. And now we’re talking -35 points, the worst he has ever been in the Reuters-Ipsos poll.”

Watch above via CNN.

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