CBS’s Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan struggled to contain her disappointment while reporting new poll numbers showing President Donald Trump’s approval rating at an all-time high. During Sunday’s broadcast, Brennan introduced the segment by acknowledging a stunning development—53% of Americans approve of Trump’s performance, a figure that outpaces his highest approval rating during his first term in office.

“That’s a better approval number than he ever reached during his first term in the White House,” Brennan admitted, her expression betraying her discomfort.

“I will keep it simple, Margaret. He’s doing, in the eyes of the public, what he said he would do in the campaign,” said CBS News Executive Director of Elections and Surveys Anthony Salvanto. “There’s political value in that. In fact, 70% of people say he’s doing what he promised.”

“Now, there’s another part of this that continues over from the campaign. There were words that he was described as being tough, being energetic, and he still is today in big majority numbers,” Salvanto explained. “So as people take a look in these first few weeks, there’s been a lot of activity.”

When it comes to policy, the numbers align with the campaign themes that propelled Trump back to the White House. Salvanto highlighted three major areas where Americans support Trump’s agenda.

First, border security remains a key issue, with a majority of Americans favoring the deployment of troops to the U.S.-Mexico border and increased enforcement against illegal immigration. Second, deportation policies targeting illegal immigrants continue to have widespread support.

Lastly, many Americans believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives have gone too far, with a strong portion of Trump’s base backing efforts to dismantle them.

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While Brennan attempted to frame Trump’s numbers as merely a matter of “perception,” Salvanto pushed back, reiterating that these figures reflect real public sentiment.

Brennan’s discomfort in reporting Trump’s rising approval is just the latest instance of the media grappling with his administration’s momentum. Her tense exchanges with Republican leaders have become a recurring theme, with one of the most notable moments unfolding during a late January Face the Nation interview with Vice President J.D. Vance.

That discussion, which centered on the administration’s bold immigration policies, underscored the ongoing battle between the White House and the media over the future of U.S. border security.

“We’re saying that that carve out should apply to anybody who doesn’t plan to stay here,” Vance told Brennan. “If you come here on vacation and you have a baby in an American hospital, that baby doesn’t become an American citizen.”

“If you’re an illegal alien and you come here temporarily, hopefully your child does not become an elite American citizen by virtue of just having been born on American soil. There’s a very basic principle in American immigration law that if you want to become an American citizen. and you’ve done it the right way, and the American people and their collective wisdom have welcomed you into our national community, then you become a citizen,” the VP continued.

Despite ongoing media attacks and Democratic attempts to derail his administration, Trump’s early weeks in office seem to have resonated with voters.