Trump’s Approval Ratings: Here’s How He Measures Up

For nearly a century, presidential approval ratings have served as a gauge for public satisfaction with the Commander in Chief.

Recently, President Donald Trump’s approval ratings have been reported shortly after he assumed office, where he implemented numerous significant changes, including executive orders and DOGE directives. Thousands of federal employees have been dismissed as part of his efforts to overhaul the federal government and reduce spending.

Here’s what you need to know about Trump’s approval rating, including the methods used to determine it and how it fares against his first term and previous presidents.

What is Donald Trump’s approval rating?

Below are the most recent approval ratings regarding Trump’s administration:

Washington Post/Ipsos:

• 8 percentage points more respondents disapproved of Trump’s job performance. (Poll conducted Feb 13-18; 2,601 adults; margin of error ±2.1 percentage points)
• 57% of respondents believe Trump has overstepped his authority since taking office, according to the Post.

YouGov/TheEconomist:

• Trump’s approval exceeded disapproval by 3 percentage points (poll conducted Feb. 16-18; 1,451 registered voters; margin of error ±3.2 percentage points).
• Around 51% of Americans feel the U.S. is in a constitutional crisis.

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Morning Consult:

• Approval of Trump’s work exceeds disapproval by 3 percentage points (poll conducted Feb. 14-16; 2,217 registered voters; margin of error ±2 percentage points).
• After three consecutive weeks of declines, these ratings have stabilized, resembling the figures from the same period in his first term, according to Morning Consult.

Gallup:

• Disapproval of Trump’s performance exceeds approval by a 6-point margin (poll conducted Feb 3-16; 1,004 adult respondents; margin of error ±4 percentage points).
• Support among party lines is stark, with an 89-point gap between approval ratings from Democrats and Republicans, the widest Gallup has recorded for any president.

Echelon Insights:

• Approval of Trump’s job stands at 52% versus 46% disapproval (poll conducted Feb. 10-13; 1,010 likely voters; margin of error ±3.6 percentage points).
• The survey indicated that voters predominantly disapprove of Elon Musk’s current involvement with the federal government by an 11-point margin.

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How does Trump’s approval rating compare with his first term?

Trump left office in 2021 with a final approval rating of 34%. His average approval during his first term was 41%.

How does Trump’s approval rating compare with past presidents?

• Joe Biden – 40%
• Donald Trump (first term) – 34%
• Barack Obama – 59%
• George W. Bush – 34%
• Bill Clinton – 66%
• George H.W. Bush – 56%
• Ronald Reagan – 63%
• Jimmy Carter – 34%
• Gerald Ford – 53%
• Richard Nixon – 24%

Are presidential approval ratings accurate?

According to Gallup, these approval ratings serve as a “simple yet powerful measure that has been integral to politics for over 70 years.”

An approval rating indicates the percentage of Americans surveyed who approve of the president’s performance, influenced by various factors like legislation, actions, and elections.

As reported by ABC News, an approval rating suggests not only how well an administration is perceived by the public but also how it may affect upcoming elections or the effectiveness of a politician’s tenure.

While relatively simplistic, some analysts, according to Quorum, argue that these ratings have diminished in utility due to rising partisanship and a deeply divided political landscape.

According to the Pew Research Center, “Presidential approval ratings have always reflected partisanship, with party members typically rating their president more favorably than those in opposition. However, the disparities between Republicans and Democrats have widened significantly in recent decades.”

Reported by USA TODAY’s Kinsey Crowley.