In a recent development, a CNN poll has indicated that Melania Trump holds the lowest approval rating recorded for any First Lady of the United States in the past four decades. This revelation was made public on Thursday during an on-air segment featuring Harry Enten, CNN’s data expert, who appeared visibly taken aback by the findings from the CNN/SSRS survey conducted between March 26 and March 30.

“Melania Trump is breaking records, but in a way no one desires—these numbers are historically poor,” Enten remarked, emphasizing the unfavorable nature of her ratings. He further commented, “The American public seems largely indifferent towards her.”

This dip in popularity surfaced shortly before Melania Trump took the podium at the White House to deliver a speech distancing herself from any associations with Jeffrey Epstein and his criminal activities.

Enten highlighted a significant shift in Melania’s public perception, noting that her approval ratings had markedly declined from the early days of her husband’s presidency to his subsequent term. This trend underscores the challenging public relations landscape she navigated during her tenure as First Lady.

Melania’s abysmal ratings came just before she delivered an address at the White House, denying any connection with Jeffrey Epstein and his crimes. 

Enten noted that the first lady’s popularity had dramatically fallen between the president’s first and second terms. 

According to the data set analyzed by the Daily Beast, Melania had a +30 rating in May 2018. 

The data point fell to just +3 in January 2025, only to fall even further to -12 after the March 2026 survey. 

A new CNN poll revealed that Melania Trump has the lowest recorded approval rating of any first lady

‘I’ve never been friends with Epstein,’ Melania Trump said during an address at the White House on Thursday afternoon

At a similar point in their husbands’ second terms, Nancy Reagan’s approval sat at +50, Hillary Clinton’s at +25, Laura Bush at +46 and Michelle Obama at +42. 

‘If we look at this historically, the worst ever, the worst ever at this point in term number two,’ Enten added. 

Even Jill Biden outperformed Melania in terms of approval ratings during just one term as first lady. 

‘She was above water as well,’ Enten said of Jill Biden. ‘So this is the worst at this point in a presidency as well.’ 

The poll’s results have no connection with Melania’s address, in which she clarified she is ‘not Epstein’s victim.’ 

‘Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump. I met my husband by chance at a New York City party in 1998,’ she said Thursday.

The First Lady said she had seen ‘fake images and statements’ linking her to Epstein on social media for years, and urged viewers to ‘be cautious about what you believe.’

‘These images and stories are completely false. I’m not a witness or unnamed witness in connection with any of Epstein’s crimes,’ she added. 

CNN’s Harry Enten compared Melania’s numbers to 40 years of first lady’s before her

Melania and Donald Trump both received blows to their approval ratings in recent months, according to recent CNN data

The announcement came as a shock, as there had not been recent revelations linking her to the disgraced financier. 

Epstein died by suicide while awaiting trial for sex trafficking charges in August 2019. 

He was convicted more than a decade prior for soliciting prostitution from a minor. 

Melania said she first met Epstein in 2000 and was unaware of anything untoward. He was not accused until years later in 2005.

Melania also addressed an email she had sent to Epstein’s criminal accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, that was published in January. 

She said that her response was to be polite, and it did not indicate a close relationship.

Buried in the tranche of more than three million Epstein Files is an email signed ‘Love, Melania’ that appears to be addressed to Maxwell.

The president told MS NOW he didn’t ‘know anything about’ his wife’s shocking remarks. 

Donald Trump and his then-girlfriend Melania Knauss, Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell at the Mar-a-Lago club, Palm Beach, Florida, February 12, 2000

A recent CNN poll suggested that Trump’s own approval ratings were less than stellar. 

March 2026 numbers showed Trump’s rating for his handling of the economy had hit an all-time low at 31 percent. 

Over the last year, Trump’s overall approval also appears to have fallen from 39 percent to 35 percent. 

Melania has frequently made headlines throughout his presidency for her controversial choices, though she often shies away from the limelight. 

Her documentary, Melania: 20 Days to History, was released in January to much public scrutiny. 

Per the Independent, Enten suggested this could have affected Melania’s popularity. 

‘I think a lot of people saw it as political even if she didn’t want it to be, and you could just see it here,’ he said. 

‘This is real-world data. This is not just the polling data that shows the historic lack of appeal that she has for a first lady.’

The Daily Mail contacted the White House for comment.