CNN Analyst Enten: 2028 Dem Field a 'Clown Car' as Newsom Stumbles

CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten stunned viewers when he described the early Dem 2028 presidential field as a “clown car” with “no clear frontrunner,” an unusually blunt assessment highlighted by Mediaite on February 24, 2026.

During the segment, CNN anchor John Berman noted that California Gov. Gavin Newsom is often treated by outlets such as The New York Times as a leading contender even as critics seized on remarks he made during a recent book tour promoting his memoir “Young Man in a Hurry,” Mediaite reported.

At an Atlanta event on that tour, Newsom told Mayor Andre Dickens that he struggled with dyslexia, cited his 960 SAT score, and said “I’m like you” in an attempt to show humility, remarks conservative commentators interpreted as racially insensitive and condescending toward Black Americans, according to New York Post reporting.

Newsom also said he rarely reads prepared speeches because of his reading challenges, a personal disclosure that critics said came off as tone-deaf for a potential national candidate and was seized on by conservative media as evidence he is unfit for higher office, the New York Post noted.

Enten pointed to national polling for the Democrat primary showing Newsom around 20 percent support with former Vice President Kamala Harris leading closer to 30 percent in aggregated early 2026 polling averages, according to RealClearPolitics data reflecting the lack of a dominant Dem candidate.

RealClearPolitics polling also shows former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez each in the single digits in early testing, reinforcing Enten’s point that no Dem contender has consolidated meaningful national backing.

Enten emphasized on CNN that it is historically unusual at this stage of a presidential cycle for no candidate to exceed 25 percent support, underscoring how fragmented the Dem field currently is.

He further stated that Dems are “historically divided” and that the Dem brand’s overall favorability ratings remain underwater in multiple surveys, a finding that even CNN’s own data team has acknowledged.

Mediaite reported that Enten’s on-air analysis suggested Newsom’s perceived frontrunner status may be considerably overstated given both the tight clustering of candidates and the absence of a breakout figure.

Polling data cited on CNN showed that even high-profile Dems with national name recognition are struggling to separate themselves from the pack, reinforcing the impression of a wide-open and unsettled race.

Axios has separately reported that Dem operatives are already maneuvering behind the scenes to weaken Newsom’s early standing by emphasizing positions that could prove unpopular outside deep-blue California.

Despite sustained media attention and national exposure, Newsom has not translated that visibility into dominant polling numbers, as reflected in RealClearPolitics averages showing him trailing Harris and failing to break decisively from the low-20 percent range.

The overall picture presented by CNN’s own data analyst, as summarized by Mediaite, is of a Dem Party entering the 2028 cycle without a commanding figure capable of uniting its various factions.

That fragmented landscape stands in contrast to Republicans largely aligned behind President Donald Trump’s leadership and policy agenda, sharpening partisan arguments that Dems lack both cohesion and a compelling standard-bearer heading into the next presidential contest.