In the United States, presidential job approval ratings were first conducted by George Gallup (estimated to be 1937) to gauge public support for the president of the United States during their term. An approval rating is a percentage determined by polling which indicates the percentage of respondents to an opinion poll who approve of a particular person or program. Typically, an approval rating is given to a politician based on responses to a poll in which a sample of people are asked whether they approve or disapprove of that particular political figure. A question might ask: "Do you approve or disapprove of the way that the current president is handling their job as president?"[1]

Like most surveys that measure opinions, individual poll results may be inaccurate. Many unscientific approval rating systems exist that show inaccurate statistics. Examples that self select, such as online questions, are of this type; however, the aggregate approval rating is generally accepted by statisticians as a statistically valid indicator of the comparative changes in the popular U.S. mood regarding a president. George W. Bush registered a 90% job approval rating (the highest in Gallup's tracking) shortly after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.[2] Harry S. Truman registered a 22% job approval rating (the lowest in Gallup's tracking) in a survey conducted February 9–14, 1952.[3]

On February 11, 2026, Gallup announced that they would cease their polling of presidential approval ratings, as well as those of other public figures.[4]

Historical comparison

Historical Gallup Poll approval highs and lows for each president since 1937[5][6][7][a]
# President Years in office Approval[5] Disapproval Margin Final poll Polls
per year
Avg Highest Lowest Diff Highest Lowest Highest Lowest
47[8] Donald Trump 2025– TBD 47
(2025-01-27) 		36
(2025-11-28, 2025-12-15) 		11 60
(2025-11-28) 		48
(2025-01-27) 		−1
(2025-01-27) 		−24
(2025-11-28) 		TBD
46[9] Joe Biden 2021–2025 42 57
(2021-02-02, 2021-04-21) [10] 		36
(2024-07-21) 		21 59
(2022-07-26, 2023-04-25, 2023-10-23, 2023-11-21, 2023-12-20, 2024-02-20) 		37
(2021-02-02) 		20
(2021-02-02) 		−22
(2023-04-25, 2023-10-23, 2023-11-21, 2024-07-21) 		40
(2025-01-15) 		12
45[11] Donald Trump 2017–2021 41 49
(2020-01-29, 2020-02-16, 2020-03-22, 2020-04-28, 2020-05-13) 		34
(2021-01-15) 		15 62
(2021-01-15) 		45
(2017-01-22, 2020-03-22) [12] 		4
(2020-03-22) 		−28
(2021-01-15) 		34
(2021-01-15) 		40
44[13] Barack Obama 2009–2017 48 69
(2009-01-24) 		38
(2014-09-05) 		31 57
(2014-10-10) 		12
(2009-01-23) 		56
(2009-01-23, 2009-01-24) 		−18
(2014-10-10) 		59
(2017-01-19) 		48.4
43[14] George W. Bush 2001–2009 49 90
(2001-09-22) 		25
(2008-10-05, 2008-10-12, 2008-11-02) 		65 71
(2008-10-10) 		6
(2001-09-22) 		84
(2001-09-22) 		−46
(2008-10-12) 		34
(2009-01-11) 		33.7
42[15] Bill Clinton 1993–2001 55 73
(1998-12-20) 		37
(1993-06-06) 		36 54
(1994-09-07) 		20
(1993-01-26) 		48
(1998-12-20) 		−14
(1994-09-07) 		66
(2001-01-14) 		28.5
41[16] George H. W. Bush 1989–1993 61 89
(1991-02-28) 		29
(1992-08-02) 		60 60
(1992-07-31) 		6
(1989-01-26) 		82
(1991-03-03) 		−30
(1992-08-02, 1992-10-13) 		56
(1993-01-11) 		39.5
40[17] Ronald Reagan 1981–1989 53 68
(1986-05-19) 		35
(1983-01-31) 		33 56
(1983-01-31) 		13
(1981-02-02) 		49
(1981-04-06) 		−21
(1983-01-31) 		63
(1988-12-29) 		37.0
39[18] Jimmy Carter 1977–1981 46 75
(1977-03-21) 		28
(1979-07-02) 		47 59
(1979-07-02) 		8
(1977-02-07, 1977-03-02) 		66
(1977-03-15) 		−31
(1979-07-02) 		34
(1980-12-08) 		22.7
38[19] Gerald Ford 1974–1977 47 71
(1974-08-19) 		37
(1975-03-31) 		34 48
(1975-03-31) 		3
(1974-08-19) 		67
(1974-08-13) 		−11
(1975-03-31) 		53
(1976-12-13) 		14.7
37[20] Richard Nixon 1969–1974 49 67
(1969-11-17, 1973-01-29) 		24
(1974-07-15, 1974-07-26, 1974-08-05) 		43 66
(1974-08-05) 		5
(1969-01-28) 		57
(1969-03-17) 		−42
(1974-08-05) 		24
(1974-08-05) 		17.7
36[21] Lyndon B. Johnson 1963–1969 55 79
(1964-03-05) 		35
(1968-08-12) 		44 53
(1968-08-12) 		2
(1963-12-10) 		75
(1963-12-10) 		−18
(1968-08-12) 		49
(1969-01-06) 		15.3
35[22] John F. Kennedy 1961–1963 70 82
(1961-05-03, 1961-06-06) 		56
(1963-09-17) 		26 30
(1963-11-13) 		5
(1961-04-11) 		77
(1961-05-03) 		27
(1963-09-17) 		58
(1963-11-13) 		13.7
34[23] Dwight D. Eisenhower 1953–1961 65 79
(1956-12-19) 		48
(1958-04-01) 		31 36
(1958-04-01) 		7
(1953-02-05) 		66
(1953-04-02, 1956-12-19) 		12
(1958-04-01) 		59
(1960-12-13) 		14.4
33[24] Harry Truman 1945–1953 45 87
(1945-06-05) 		22
(1951-11-16, 1952-02-14) 		65 67
(1952-01-06) 		3
(1945-06-05) 		85
(1945-08-22) 		−43
(1952-01-04) 		32
(1952-12-16) 		8.4
32[25] Franklin D. Roosevelt 1933–1945 63 83
(1942-01-23) 		48
(1939-08-18) 		35 46
(1938-05-22, 1938-05-29, 1938-11-07) 		73
(1942-01-23) 		65
(1943-12-15) 		8

Approval at the beginning of the presidency

Historical Gallup Poll approval at the beginning of each presidency since 1953[26]
Presidency President Initial approval Initial disapproval
47 Trump 47 (2025-01-29) 48 (2025-01-29)
46 Biden 57 (2021-02-02) 37 (2021-02-02)
45 Trump 45 (2017-01-22) 45 (2017-01-22)
44 Obama 68 (2009-01-23) 12 (2009-01-23)
43 G. W. Bush 57 (2001-02-05) 25 (2001-02-05)
42 Clinton 58 (1993-01-24) 20 (1993-01-24)
41 G. H. W. Bush 51 (1989-01-26) 6 (1989-01-26)
40 Reagan 51 (1981-02-02) 13 (1981-02-02)
39 Carter 66 (1977-01-07) 8 (1977-01-07)
38 Ford 71 (1974-08-19) 3 (1974-08-19)
37 Nixon 59 (1969-01-28) 5 (1969-01-28)
36 Johnson 78 (1963-12-10) 2 (1963-12-10)
35 Kennedy 72 (1961-02-15) 6 (1961-02-15)
34 Eisenhower 68 (1953-02-05) 7 (1953-02-05)
33 Truman 87 (1945-06-05) 3 (1945-06-05)

Historical net approval of each presidency

Historical average polling approval of each presidency since 1953. Polling figures are the unweighted mean of both polling averages reported by Real Clear Politics and FiveThirtyEight.[27][28][29]
Presidency President Average initial approval Average initial disapproval Net initial approval Average final approval Average final disapproval Net final approval Initial to final change
47[b] Trump 47 41 +6 — — — —
46 Biden 57.5 37.5 +20 37.9 56.9 -19 -39
45 Trump 45 45 0 41.1 56.1 -15 -15
44 Obama 68.5 12.5 +56 59 37 +22 -34
43 G. W. Bush 57 25 +32 34 61 -27 -59
42 Clinton 58 20 +38 66 29 +37 -1
41 G. H. W. Bush 51 6 +45 56 37 +19 -26
40 Reagan 51 13 +38 63 29 +34 -4
39 Carter 66 8 +58 34 55 -21 -79
38 Ford 71 3 +68 53 32 +21 -47
37 Nixon 59 5 +54 24 66 -42 -96
36 Johnson 78 2 +76 49 33 +16 -60
35 Kennedy 72 6 +66 58 28 +30 -36
34 Eisenhower 68 7 +61 59 28 +31 -30
33 Truman 87 3 +84 32 56 -24 -108

Graphs

See also

Notes

  1. Only the results of Gallup polls are included as no other poll results exist for presidents before President Clinton.
  2. Trump's second term polling numbers will reflect only the unweighted mean of polling averages reported by Real Clear Politics given the closure of FiveThirtyEight due to employee cuts at ABC News Group by parent company Disney.[30]

References

  1. "Presidential Approval Ratings: Donald Trump". Gallup.com. Gallup, Inc. November 16, 2016.
  2. Jones, J. (2022). Who had the highest Gallup presidential job approval rating? Gallup. Retrieved from Who Had the Highest Gallup Presidential Job Approval Rating?
  3. Jones, J. (2022). Who had the lowest Gallup presidential job approval rating? Gallup. Retrieved from Who Had the Lowest Gallup Presidential Job Approval Rating?
  4. Mastrangelo, Dominick (February 11, 2026). "Gallup will no longer measure presidential approval after 88 years". THE HILL. NEXSTAR MEDIA INC.
  5. "Presidential Approval Ratings – Gallup Historical Statistics and Trends". Gallup. March 12, 2008.
  6. Lydia Saad (March 29, 2017). "Trump's Approval Rating Unusually Low, Unusually Early". Gallup.
  7. The American Presidency Project at UC Santa Barbara.
  8. "Presidential Approval Ratings -- Donald Trump". Gallup.com. January 27, 2025.
  9. "Presidential Approval Ratings -- Joe Biden". Gallup.com. February 5, 2021.
  10. "Biden Job Approval a Respectable 57% at 100 Days". Gallup. April 23, 2021.
  11. "Gallup Daily: Trump Job Approval". Gallup.
  12. Saad, Lydia (January 23, 2017). Trump Sets New Low Point for Inaugural Approval Rating. Gallup Inc..
  13. "Gallup Daily: Obama Job Approval". Gallup.com. January 12, 2017.
  14. "Presidential Approval Ratings -- George Bush". Gallup.com. Gallup. January 20, 2008.
  15. "Presidential Approval Ratings -- Bill Clinton". Gallup. March 11, 2008.
  16. "Presidential Job Approval for George H. W. Bush". American Presidency Project.
  17. "Presidential Job Approval for Ronald Reagan". American Presidency Project.
  18. "Presidential Job Approval for Jimmy Carter". American Presidency Project.
  19. "Presidential Job Approval for Gerald Ford". American Presidency Project.
  20. "Presidential Job Approval for Richard Nixon". American Presidency Project.
  21. "Presidential Job Approval for Lyndon B. Johnson". American Presidency Project.
  22. "Presidential Job Approval for John F. Kennedy". American Presidency Project.
  23. Presidential Job Approval for "Dwight D. Eisenhower". American Presidency Project.
  24. "Presidential Job Approval for Harry S. Truman". American Presidency Project.
  25. "Presidential Job Approval for Franklin D. Roosevelt". American Presidency Project.
  26. Gerhard, Peters (February 4, 2021). "Initial Presidential Job Approval Ratings". The American Presidency Project.
  27. "President Biden Job Approval Ratings and Polls | RealClearPolling". www.realclearpolling.com.
  28. Wiederkehr, Ryan Best, Aaron Bycoffe, Ritchie King, Dhrumil Mehta and Anna (June 28, 2018). "Latest Polls". FiveThirtyEight.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  29. "data/polls/old_model at master · fivethirtyeight/data". GitHub.
  30. Dunbar, Marina (March 5, 2025). "Political poll news site 538 to close amid larger shuttering across ABC and Disney". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077.