CNN: “Republicans love Donald Trump more than any president’s own party’s supporters loved them at this particular point.” pic.twitter.com/QYTlmQifEl
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 5, 2026
Even analysts on CNN are beginning to acknowledge what Republican voters have understood for years: when President Donald Trump throws his support behind a candidate, the political odds shift dramatically.
During a Thursday segment analyzing the brewing Republican primary fight for a U.S. Senate seat in Texas, CNN data reporter Harry Enten used sports legends to illustrate the extraordinary success rate of Trump-backed candidates.
With the contest between incumbent Senator John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton heating up, Enten suggested that whichever candidate secures Trump’s endorsement could gain a decisive advantage.
Trump himself highlighted that influence earlier this week on Truth Social, boasting about the winning track record of candidates he supports. According to Enten, the numbers back up the president’s claim.
“You know Trump yesterday on Truth Social essentially said when I endorse it’s a very big deal because for the people that I endorse the endorsees almost always win and as it turns out the president is correct on this,” Enten began.
Looking at the historical data, Enten said the results are staggering.
“He is a GOAT when it comes to Republican primaries. He’s a Tom Brady. He is a Babe Ruth,” Enten exclaimed, referencing legendary athletes Tom Brady and Babe Ruth.
The statistics he cited paint a clear picture of Trump’s dominance in GOP primaries. Candidates backed by Trump won 98% of their races in 2020, 95% in 2022, and 96% in 2024 across congressional and gubernatorial contests.
Even when Trump sides with challengers attempting to unseat incumbents—a notoriously difficult path in primary politics—those candidates still tend to come out on top. As Enten put it bluntly: “President Trump’s endorsement is as good as gold in Republican primaries.”
CNN anchor John Berman jokingly suggested the comparison might not even fully capture Trump’s political strength. “When you compare it to Tom Brady, he actually does better than Tom,” Berman remarked.
Enten said the reason behind this political phenomenon is clear: Trump continues to command extraordinary loyalty from Republican voters, even well into his second term.
When comparing approval ratings among party supporters at the same stage of previous presidencies, Trump leads by a significant margin.
“On party supporters, 21st century presidents’ own party approval about at this point in a second term, [George W. Bush] was at 77%, [Barack Obama] was at 77%,” Enten said while presenting polling data.
“Look at this: 86% of Republicans approve of the job that Donald Trump is doing at this point. That is higher than either Obama or Bush had within their own party.”
The enthusiasm within the Republican base runs even deeper when voters are asked whether they strongly approve of the president’s performance.
“Obama was at 48%. Bush was at 47%. You see here Trump at 53%,” Enten explained. “Not as high as overall approval rating, but still getting a majority of the Republican base, at least in the average of polls, to say that they still really really, really like him.” In short, Enten argued, Trump’s political touch remains firmly intact. “At this point, Trump’s magic touch has not seemed to worn off yet when it comes to the Republican base,” he said.
That reality could soon reshape the high-stakes Republican Senate primary in Texas. Trump has not yet publicly chosen between Cornyn and Paxton, but prediction markets are already reacting to the possibility that he could soon make his choice.
According to Enten, betting odds for Cornyn securing the GOP nomination surged dramatically—from 24 percent to 85 percent—amid speculation that Trump might ultimately endorse him.
“The markets believe what we saw on slide number one, which is Trump’s endorsement is very, very important,” Enten concluded. “He’s a GOAT.”
