CNN anchor Jake Tapper fact-checked President Donald Trump in real time on Tuesday after Trump falsely claimed he had 100% approval among Republicans. During an event, Trump said, "I am at, according to CNN, 100% approval within the Republican Party, that's better than your record, Gary," gesturing to golfer Gary Player. He added, "I'm at 100% approval. Did you see the CNN poll? Nobody talks about it, CNN. I think the people that did that poll probably got fired. But within the Republican Party and MAGA, which is basically 100% of the party I think, but 100%."
Tapper responded on X by linking to the original CNN article Trump likely referenced, which showed far from 100% approval. "Nope. Relatedly: 'Charting how Trump became a historically unpopular president' (In this story from today, we see Trump support among Republicans from 3/25 to 3/26 has gone from 90% to 80% and strong support from 64% to 43%)," Tapper wrote.
Poll Details Contradict Claim
The CNN poll revealed Trump at historic lows among key demographics. For example, support among male voters dropped from 54% in February 2025 to 38% in March 2026. On specific issues, only 41% approved of his handling of immigration, 31% approved of his handling of the economy, and 36% approved of his handling of foreign affairs. None of these numbers approach 100%.
Real-Time Fact Check
Tapper's swift response highlighted the discrepancy, emphasizing that the president's approval rating among Republicans had fallen to 80%, with strong support plummeting to 43%. The fact check serves as a reminder of the importance of verifying claims made by public figures, especially when they cite polling data.
